


Fatum Altaris

by TheDarkestDandelion, WhoStarLocked



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Angry Cor Leonis, Angst, Ardyn Izunia Being An Asshole, Ardyn Izunia Being Ardyn Izunia, Attempt at Humor, BAMF Cor Leonis, BAMF Nyx Ulric, Badass Cor Leonis, Battle, Battle of Insomnia, Blood, Chocobos, Clarus Amicitia Lives, Cor Leonis Is Done, Dad! Cor, Defying Fate, Everybody Lives, Faking Death, Family Feels, Family Secrets, Fear, Feels, Fighting, Fix-It of Sorts, Fuck Ordanity, Fuck You Bahamut!, Happy Ending, Hope, Hurt/Comfort, Insomnia Falls, Kings of Yore, Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV (2016), M/M, Multi, Niflheim (Final Fantasy XV), Noctis Lucis Caelum Is Done, Noctis Lucis Caelum Says No, Noctis Lucis Caelum is a Brat, Nyx Ulric Is Done, Nyx Ulric Lives, On the Run, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Parent Clarus Amicitia, Parent Cor Leonis, Parent Regis Lucis Caelum, Poor Nyx Ulric, Protective Clarus Amicitia, Protective Cor Leonis, Regis Lucis Caelum Lives, Regis Lucis Caelum Needs A Hug, Revelations, Ring of lucii, Roadtrip, Scarcasm, Secret Relationship, Secrets, Shock, Trust, Uncertainty, Worry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:21:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 25,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24207370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDarkestDandelion/pseuds/TheDarkestDandelion, https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhoStarLocked/pseuds/WhoStarLocked
Summary: King Regis knew he was meant to die the day Insomnia fell. He had accepted his fate long ago and nothing could change it. After all, everything is, and always had been, ordained.Or so he thought...
Relationships: Clarus Amicitia & Cor Leonis & Regis Lucis Caelum, Clarus Amicitia/Regis Lucis Caelum, Gladiolus Amicitia & Prompto Argentum & Noctis Lucis Caelum & Ignis Scientia, Lunafreya Nox Fleuret/Noctis Lucis Caelum, Prompto Argentum/Nyx Ulric
Comments: 41
Kudos: 154





	1. Everything Changes

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone :)
> 
> WhoStarLocked and I have decided that we don't want Nyx, Regis or Clarus to die today. (Today being the day Insomnia falls) So we fixed it. XD
> 
> We hope you enjoy XD

Fear gripped his heart like a vice as Regis watched his oldest friend raise his sword without hesitation. 

“Been a long time since I fought at your side, old friend.” Clarus stated evenly, his voice not giving away any feelings.

“Yes,” Regis answered, clutching his cane tightly, as he stared directly at the mask that had plagued his dreams since the day Tenebrae fell. Of course it would be him that the Gods had chosen to claim his life. “But this time it is not your fight. If you wish to leave, go now.” 

He prayed like hell Clarus would listen. 

“And abandon my king? I think not.” The Shield smirked. “Besides, our magic is bound to you. If you fall, Lucis falls.”

Regis hated that he was right.

“Then let us once more into the fray, old friend.” He said aloud. 

He knew Clarus would know that what he really meant was _‘I love you so much, my darling’._ There was so much more he wanted to say, but even moments away from his ordained death, Regis was all too aware of the Crownsguards in front of them. Even though he was going to die, he didn’t want their relationship out in the open - it was the only thing he and Clarus had that was just _theirs._ Regardless, he was out of time.

General Glauca leapt towards them, felling the guards with one brutal sweep of his sword. Regis stood still, watching with horror as Clarus rushed forwards to meet the General. Their swords clashed, and he could hardly hold back a flinch as the sound echoed around the room. He couldn’t take his eyes off the pair as they blocked and parried, looking for any opening he could find to do what little he could to help his husband. When one arose, he didn’t hesitate, raising his hand and shooting a bolt of Thunder towards the General. Glauca staggered backwards slightly, and Clarus pressed his advantage, attacking ferociously while his opponent was stunned. 

Regis’ heart leapt into his throat when the General managed to knock Clarus aside. He hastily drew his armiger as the General stormed towards him. It took all his strength to keep his enemy at bay; his arm began to shake as he weakened. 

In the blink of an eye, Glauca hit the floor, and the pressure against Regis’ armiger ceased abruptly. Regis looked up, expecting to see his Shield, but instead, his heart dropped when he saw none other than Cor standing over the General with a fierce scowl on his face. 

“No,” He whispered, horrified. “What are you doing here?!” 

Cor merely spared him a glance as he took up a defensive stance in front of Regis, as Glauca got to his feet once again, snarling. 

He turned to meet Clarus as the Shield attacked him from behind, and once he was distracted, Cor leapt forwards as well, landing a solid blow to his back, forcing the General further away from Regis.

Regis was rooted to the spot, a feeling of complete helplessness overcoming him as he watched his two closest friends fight to protect him. _I’m going to die anyway! Please gods let them live,_ He thought desperately. If only he wasn’t so weak, he could help them. No sooner than the thought crossed his mind, Glauca swung his sword in a wide arc, catching Cor in the side and knocking him into Clarus with such force that they both slid across the floor. Regis gasped, heart in his mouth as he looked for any movements from his fallen brothers.

He trembled, raising a shield to block Glauca’s incoming attack. The General pounced on him, but the shield held fast.

“You have the crystal.” Regis winced. “What more would you take from me?”

Glauca struck against the transparent shield, and it shattered. A metal hand grasped his forearm and Regis stumbled as he was yanked forwards. His cane slipped from his hand. 

A hot, blinding pain surged up his arm. He fell to one knee, clutching at his hand in agony. 

“The Ring of the Lucii.” 

Regis looked up dazedly to see Ravus putting on the ring. A sudden rush of air flew past him and the next thing he knew the former Prince of Tenebrae was screaming in pain, his arm burning to ash, as the General landed in a crouch next him. Trembling in shock, Regis turned his attention to the ring as it rolled across the floor to his feet. Numbly he picked it up just as he felt his husband pull him to his feet. 

“Look out!” 

Regis turned to see Princess Lunafreya at the other end of the hall, Nyx Ulric close on her heels. In a flash of familiar blue light, the pair appeared before him. 

“Take them and get out of here!” The Glaive yelled at Clarus, before turning and warping away from them. As Clarus began to drag Regis from the room, he belatedly looked around for Cor. 

“Come on, Regis!” Clarus said, hurt clear in his voice as he forced the King towards the elevator behind them. Luna pulled Regis’ other arm over her shoulders, carrying his weight as Clarus opened the doors before ushering both royals ahead of him. 

Regis leant heavily on the wall, frantically watching Cor and Nyx as they fended off the General’s attacks. He barely noticed Clarus smashing an elixir over him, but he felt some of his strength return to him. Regis took in a deep breath and hurled another bolt of Thunder at the General. 

As Glauca fell, Cor turned, spotting them immediately and sprinted towards them, dragging Nyx along in his wake.

The doors shut behind the pair and the lift shuddered as it began to move. For a moment, there was nothing but the sounds of their breathing. The sharp sound of fabric being torn broke the silence, and Regis mustered a pained smile at Luna, who wrapped the makeshift bandage around his dismembered hand. 

“This leads to a hidden passageway.” Regis panted, catching Luna’s gaze. “Follow it. Once you are away, make for Altissia. Noctis awaits you there.”

“Your Majesty-” Luna began, only to be cut off by an enraged sounding Nyx.

“You knew this was coming.”

“Yes.” Regis confirmed, looking to the Glaive. Nyx’s glare made him flinch.

“You what?” Cor demanded suddenly, eyes bright with fury. “You knew this was coming, and you put me on the fucking gate?!” Cor began to move towards him, but Clarus intercepted him, pushing him back with one hand. 

“Cor,” Clarus growled in warning.

“It was the only way to draw their wrath from Noctis.” Regis explained, looking at Cor guiltily. 

“Is that the way of our King?” Nyx spat. “Sacrifice Lucian sons to save his own?”

“To save the world.” Luna interjected. 

Silence fell, the tension between them was almost tangible. 

The Marshal and Ulric were silently trying to contain their growing anger, both of them looking anywhere other than at the men they worked for. Neither of them could believe the apparent selfishness of their King and Shield. They thought better of them. How could they possibly justify keeping anyone in the dark over this? Insomnia was burning around them and, to them, this could have been prevented if Regis had never fucking accepted that worthless treaty! 

Clarus shifted, looking to Nyx. “Where the hell are the rest of the Glaives?” 

Nyx laughed darkly. “Half of them turned on us.” 

“ _What?"_ The Shield asked, outraged. “And what of the Captain?” 

Nyx shrugged. “Can’t get hold of him. Haven’t been able to since I rescued the Princess.” 

“Brilliant,” Cor sighed, closing his eyes momentarily. When he opened them again, he looked to Regis. “What do we do now?” 

Regis considered their options in silence. “See Luna safely to Altissia.” He said, looking at Cor imploringly. When he saw the incredulous look on the Marshal’s face, he rushed to continue. “This is not an order from a King to his Marshal. This is a plea from one brother to another. Please, Cor, keep her safe.”

Cor clenched his jaw tight for a second before he replied.

“No.” He raised a finger, pointing between Regis and Clarus, his anger obvious in every movement. “You get her out. _We’ll_ deal with Glauca.”

Cor gestured towards Nyx as he spoke. The Glaive shot him a disbelieving look, but it was ignored. Regis inhaled sharply, trying to find the words to explain to the man he considered his younger brother that all this had been necessary; that this had to happen so that Noctis could save Eos from the prophesized darkness. How did he even begin to explain that he’d sent Cor away - just as he’d sent Noctis away - because he couldn’t bear to see them die?

Regis gasped suddenly. He turned to Clarus, grabbing wildly at his husband’s arm. Clarus steadied him, a look of concern on his face.

“Oh, gods… Iris!” 

Clarus’ eyes widened in terror. In a moment of panic, he turned to Cor, but before he could even begin to speak, Cor interjected. 

“Dustin has her. He is getting her, Jared and Talcott out.” 

Both men sagged with relief, safe in the knowledge that Iris was alive, but it was short-lived. A metallic clang from above shook the elevator suddenly. The King closed his eyes in acceptance; turning to face Luna and with a quivering hand, he placed the ancient ring in hers. 

“Here take this. It is time it passed to another’s keeping.” 

She opened her mouth as if to argue, but Regis looked away from her. There was nothing but the sound of the lift mechanics for a moment. He kept his eyes on the floor, knowing without having to look that his four companions were all staring at him.

Before another word could be spoken, the lift doors opened and Luna offered him his cane. He graciously took it, before Clarus gently shoved him out the doors. Nyx and Cor trailed behind them, readying their weapons. Regis tried to turn and reach back for Cor.

“Cor!” He cried out, as Clarus refused to let him stop.

Cor turned to look at him, giving him a sad, knowing smile. “Go.” 

He watched as the others moved out of his sight before turning back to await their enemy. 

“You ready for this, Ulric?” He asked, adjusting his grip on his katana. 

“Oh, yeah, sure.” Nyx snorted, not taking his eyes away from the lift.

“You can cut the sarcasm.”

* * *

Clarus kept a hand pressed firmly into the small of his husband’s back as they found their way through the tunnels underneath the Citadel. When they emerged from the tunnel, he let out a breath of relief when they saw an intact car parked there. He hurried both Regis and Luna to the vehicle and upon further inspection, it turned out to be Noctis’ car. By some miracle the car was unlocked and the keys were in the ignition. Clarus opened the back door and attempted to shove Regis in the backseat, but his beloved was frozen, looking down the tunnel with fear on his face. 

“Cor…” 

The heartbroken whisper from his husband made the Shield want to turn back and help their brother in arms, but they couldn’t. Clarus had to keep Regis alive. They had to get out of Insomnia, and no matter how much it pained him, they had to keep pushing onwards and leave Cor behind. 

“Just get in the damn car Regis.” Clarus whispered, harshly forcing him into the car. 

He slammed the door shut, and got into the driver seat. He briefly glanced in the mirror and saw Luna putting Regis’ seatbelt on for him. Clarus locked all the doors and drove out of there as fast as he could, whilst taking precaution. Night had fallen, the wall was down and for the first time in 150 years, Insomnia was open to daemon attack. Nevermind the daemons, their home was crawling with Niff soldiers. It was going to be hard getting out of Insomnia, but as long as they stayed in the fucking car they had a fighting chance. 

As they drove through the city, Clarus couldn’t help but look at the rearview mirror every so often; just to check if Regis was alright. He didn’t like what he saw. Regis was as white as a sheet, and trembling. The Princess kept trying to make him speak but Regis never gave her a response. He gritted his teeth as he focused back on the road ahead. Regis was clearly in shock, but until they were someplace safe, there was nothing Clarus could do for him. He leant forwards in his seat, fiddling with the car radio. He needed to find out if there was any chance Drautos was still alive, although he didn’t hold out much hope. If the traitors among the Glaives had been smart, they’d have sent someone to take out the Captain by now. 

“Captain Drautos,” He called out. “Come in.” 

There’s nothing but static in response. 

His suspicions as good as confirmed, Clarus slammed a fist against the wheel in frustration, letting out an enraged yell. 

There was no point trying again. 

Just as he was about to shut the radio off an APB filtered through, catching both Clarus’ and Luna’s attention. 

“F _ootage of the perpetrators was captured by a nearby surveillance camera. Here are images of the six suspects. One has been identified as Galahdian refugee, Libertus Ostium, a former member of the Lucian kingsglaive._ ”

Clarus’ eye twitched. 

Fucking Kingsglaive. Cor was right. The Guards should have been the ones posted at the Citadel today. 

“My Lord.” At the sound of Lunafreyra’s voice, Clarus pulled himself out of his enraged trance and glared at her through the mirror. “I am concerned about His Majesty...”

“Fuck.” Clarus muttered harshly, shifting his gaze to Regis. He wasn’t moving, the only indication he was still alive was his too-shallow breathing.

“Just try and get him talking.” Clarus said curtly. “There’s nothing I can do until we are out of-”

Clarus broke off suddenly as there was a massive thud from above him. He slammed on the brakes, his seat belt cutting into his chest as he jolted forwards. He heard a muffled yell, and watched with growing horror as a glaive slid into view. As the car came screeching to a halt, the man on the windscreen fell further, thumping on the glass rapidly with one hand. Clarus let out a breath he hadn’t realised he was holding as he recognised Ulric. He stared incredulously at the Glaive as Nyx rolled off the car, kukri in hand. As Nyx made his way to the back door of the car and opened it, Clarus saw another car ahead of them, tyres leaving black track marks on the tarmac. The other car made a sharp U-turn, coming to a stop a few metres away from them. Clarus’ jaw dropped open in shock as Cor got out, seemingly unscathed. _Trust Cor to make that kind of stupid manouvre_ , Clarus thought to himself as the Marshal crossed the short distance between the cars. 

Cor pulled open the driver’s side door, looking down at him with a small smirk. “Move over.”

“You reckless idiot!” Clarus grunted, shuffling across into the passenger seat. 

Cor wasted no time, once both doors had shut he floored the gas, throwing the car’s occupants back into their seats as they sped through the city. 

“Glauca?” Clarus asked, gripping the grab-handle tightly. 

“We bought time. We need to get out of here.” Cor answered grimly, eyes focused on the road.

“Cor!” 

Clarus turned in his seat, frowning with growing concern at Regis’ delayed response. Next to him, Cor turned back for a second, flashing a grin. 

“Hi,” He said, guiding them around debris with ease. 

“You’re alive!” Regis gasped. 

Clarus reached through the gap in the seats, taking his King’s uninjured hand in his own. Regis was freezing. 

“Sure am,” Cor answered distractedly. “They don’t call me ‘The Immortal’ for nothing, y’know.” 

“Don’t suppose you found us any back-up?” Nyx asked, looking to Clarus. 

The Shield shook his head. “No. No response from Drautos either.”

“...Clarus…” Regis called out to him, his voice shaking. 

Clarus’ face dropped at seeing how disoriented his husband looked. They needed to get him someplace safe and warm. Clarus squeezed his hand gently. 

“I’m here, my king.” 

“It will be alright, Your Majesty.” Luna whispered, wrapping an arm around Regis.

“FUCK!” 

Upon hearing Cor swear aggressively, Clarus snapped his head back around and to his horror, a line of MTs were blocking their way. Before Clarus could form a coherent thought, the car sped up and rammed straight through the line. Clarus flinched as the bodies of the robots crumpled in the wake of the car. If Cor wasn’t careful he was going to break the damned thing in a minute! 

“What the fuck are you doing?!” Nyx screamed. 

“If you want to get out and fight them, be my guest!” Cor snapped back, accelerating past the remainder of the MTs at top speed. 

Clarus turned back around to make sure that Regis was alright after another sudden jolt. Out of the corner of his eye he saw something gaining on them. A Dropship. Shit. In an urgent voice he ordered: “Cor. Speed up.”

Luna and Nyx quickly turned around, noticing the Dropship open up to reveal the imperial MTs, ready to strike. Nyx groaned. “Fuck! Would they like to throw anything _else_ at us today?!” 

A loud buzzing noise appeared from overhead.

“Well, now you’ve done it.” Cor sighed, peering through the windscreen at the massive swarm of daemons descending on them. “How the fuck do they know where we are?!”

“Just try and lose them!” Clarus barked, shaking Regis’ hand, trying to get a response out of him. 

“Your hairpin!” Nyx exclaimed, turning to Luna. 

Luna quickly took the pin out of her hair and handed it over to the Glaive. Nyx quickly wound down the window, twisted in his seat and leant out of it. He drew back his arm and launched the hairpin towards the dropship, ducking back into the car as quick as he could. Sure enough, the daemons immediately chased after it, crashing into the oncoming ship, causing it to explode. The car shuddered violently. 

Clarus felt Regis’ cold hand tighten around his, forcing Clarus’ gaze back to his husband.

Regis gasped, blinking rapidly as he looked towards the source of the explosion. “What the hell was that?” 

“Your Majesty.” Luna said softly. “We’re quite safe, don't worry.” 

“Regis, look me at.” Clarus ordered, patting his hand. When the King stared back at him, Clarus let out a sigh. “You need to stay focused. Can you do that? You need to breathe, and you need to focus.”

Regis nodded, gripping Clarus’ hand more tightly as he calmed his breathing down. 

The radio crackled to life suddenly, static giving way to a distorted voice as Cor tuned it.

“D _o you hear me? Repeat, this is Drautos. Can you hear me? Over._ ” 

“Your timing is impeccable, Captain.” Nyx called out, grinning with relief at the familiar voice.

“ _Ulric! Thank the gods. Do you have any idea if His Majesty is safe?"_

Clarus cut in before the Glaive could answer. “Yes, he is with us. Where the hell are you?”

“ _Lord Amicitia, sir. The few remaining Glaives and I are going to rendezvous and regroup in section D. I fear the city is lost.”_

“Don’t suppose we could meet you at the gate?” Cor asked grimly.

“ _The only open exit is by section D.”_

Clarus sighed. There was no other choice, they had to get out of the city if they were to survive this night. “We’ll see you there.” 

_“I’ll have an evacuation team ready.”_

* * *

Nyx kept a sharp lookout for MTs and daemons as they drove towards section D. His body ached - this had been one hell of a day. He couldn’t wait for it to be over, for them to be safe so he could curl up and sleep for a week. 

The car slowed to a stop a few street’s lengths away from the centre of the section. With a frown, Nyx turned to glance at the other occupants of the car. 

“Why are we stopping?” He asked, a sense of foreboding creeping through his gut.

“Get out.” The Marshal said evenly. 

“What?” 

“I said, get out.”

“Cor, what on Eos are you doing?” Regis asked, shaking his head slightly. 

“Drautos said he was with the remaining Glaives,” Cor began, making virtual quotation marks with his fingers. “If what Ulric told us earlier is true, then we could be heading into a trap; for all we know, the Captain is already dead.” 

There was silence in the car as the truth of his statement was realised. 

Nyx cursed mentally, unable to argue with the Marshal’s logic. When he woke up this morning the only thing that was troubling him was whether he should return to Galahd or not after Prompto had returned to the city. He never expected this shitstorm to happen. He still couldn’t believe that his brothers in arms had betrayed their King. 

“I’ll go with you.” Luna’s steady voice broke his train of thought, and he looked to her in surprise. 

“No offence, your Highness, but you’ve been at the centre of enough traps today already. I’m not sending you into another.” Cor grumbled.

“But-”

“No, Princess, he’s right.” Nyx sighed, checking his weapons before reaching for the door handle.

“Just be vigilant, Ulric. Keep the radio open at all times.” Clarus commandedly softly. 

Nyx nodded, muttering out a confirmation. He heard the car door lock behind him and started to make his way towards the centre.

It was eerily quiet. The street was devoid of life, even of daemons. Nyx swallowed nervously, his own breathing loud in his ears. He scanned every inch of the road, glancing into the shadows cast by the buildings. When he reached the junction, his skin crawled, and the back of his neck prickled with unease. He hated feeling this exposed. His heart pounded in his chest, but he made it to the roundabout without incident. 

On the other side of the statue, there was a car idling. The headlights blinded him, and he raised one hand to block out the worst of the glare as he approached it slowly. Relief flowed through him when he saw his Captain get out of the car. 

“Ulric!”

“You’re a sight for sore eyes, sir.” Nyx grinned, glad to see Drautos alive and well.

“Where’s the King?” Drautos demanded, placing a hand on Nyx’s shoulder. 

“Safe.” Nyx replied calmly. He could see the other man’s radio, and if Cor was right and the other traitorous Glaives were close by, he didn’t want to accidentally give away their position.

“Where?” Drautos said, desperation leaking into his tone. 

“Safe. Are you the only one here? I thought you had back-up.” Nyx scoped out the buildings surrounding them again, but there was still no sign of any other Glaives... 

“Ulric!” Drautos snapped, grabbing his other shoulder, forcing Nyx’s attention back to him. “Where is the King?! Lord Amicita?! The Marshal?! The Princess?!”

Nyx frowned, dread coiling in his gut. “They’re safe, why are you getting angry at me?” 

Drautos sighed, looking away from him. He let go of one of Nyx’s shoulders, but his grip on the other tightened. 

Nyx tensed, and slowly wrapped his hand around the hilt of his kukri. 

“You were a good soldier, Nyx.” 

Nyx’s face fell in shock, and he drew and threw his blade blindly, unable to tear his eyes away from the man in front of him. The iconic armour of General Glauca enclosed around his Captain as he broke the man’s hold on him. He warped, throwing himself bodily after his kukri; just before he made the leap to safety, a searing hot pain erupted just above his hip. 

He let out a cry of pain as he landed, stumbling slightly. He clamped his hand over the injury, and when he pulled it away, it was covered in blood. 

“Marshal, it’s Glauca!” He yelled, turning to watch their enemy advancing towards him. The General walked leisurely towards him, sword dragging along the floor. “Drautos is Glauca, I repeat, Drautos is Glauca!” 

_“Fuck! Clarus, get the fuck out of here!_ ” The Marshal screamed over the radio. “ _Hang on, Ulric, I’m coming!_ ”

_Not quick enough_ , Nyx thought to himself as he dodged the General’s attack.

* * *

Luna watched the Marshal run to Nyx’s aid and prayed the two would make it out unscathed as the car sped off once more. 

“Clarus, no! We can’t leave them!” Regis yelled, fearing for his friend. 

“We have no choice!” The Shield shouted over him, eyes locked on the road ahead.

Luna gently placed a hand on Regis’ forearm and attempted to give him some comfort. “Your Majesty, I am sure they will be fine. They have already defeated him once together. They’ll do it again.” 

Regis placed his hand on top of hers and smiled sadly. “I do hope you’re right, my dear.” 

As the car drove over the slope, Luna gasped as she saw a cluster of dropships looming over the city. Underneath the familiar ships she noticed a gigantic, glowing red mass, shooting fireballs on Insomnia. 

“What the hell is that?” Luna said breathlessly. 

Clarus swore loudly. “Regis! Summon the Old Wall. We’re not getting out of here without some help!” 

“Yeah…” Regis agreed dazedly, looking down at his severed finger. “The Ring…” 

The Oracle shook her head, retrieving the ring from her dress sleeve, handing it over to the King. 

“Here.”

She placed it in his hand, and he gingerly put it on to his finger. The ring glowed, the purple hue lighting up the car. Luna watched with worry as the Kings of Yore made their judgement. When the King let out a sigh, she winced, thinking the worst, but unlike her brother, he was unharmed. She saw Regis brace himself and the ground began to rumble beneath them. 

Luna looked out of the window, seeing the foundations of the City begin to move as the Kings of the Lucii awoke from their slumber. The Mystic was the first to launch an attack against the daemons as they defended their city. Luna could not help but be reminded of the day Tenebrae fell, and how awful it was to watch her home be destroyed… 

The night sky was ablaze as the three made their way towards the exit. 

* * *

Glauca fell to his knees in pain as Cor and Nyx landed one final blow against him.

The Marshal looked down at the man he had worked with for years, hating the fact that he had been blinded by all his lies. In a burst of raw anger, Cor raised his katana, ready to bring it down on the General’s now-exposed neck. 

“Marshal, leave him! We need to go! He’s finished anyway!” Nyx yelled, heading towards the car the General had arrived in.

Cor hesitated, sword still in the air, so enraged that he couldn’t bring himself to just leave. 

“He needs to pay for this.” Cor growled, shifting his grip on his weapon.

Nyx’s hurried footsteps faltered. 

“If we don’t leave now, we are not getting out of here alive.”


	2. The King Is Dead, Long Live The King

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!!
> 
> WhoStarLocked and I are amazed by the response this story has gotten! Thank you so much for the support, we are really enjoying writing this and we can't wait to share more with you all!!! 
> 
> So we hope you enjoy :)

“What’s that look for?” 

Prompto turned to face the others in the room and saw Ignis handing a newspaper over to Gladio with a solemn expression. 

“It’s in all the papers.” Ignis said, turning his attention to Noctis. 

“What is?” Noctis asked tiredly. 

Prompto inched towards Gladio, who was intently reading the front page of the paper. When he was close enough, he looked over Gladio’s shoulder and his jaw fell to the floor. Unable to believe the words he read, he read outloud. “Insomnia…falls?”

Noctis threw a look of disbelief at Prom, shaking his head before glaring at his advisor. 

“This your idea of a joke?” Noctis demanded hotly. 

“I need you to calm down so I can explain.”

“I’m as calm as I’m gonna get!” Noctis raised his voice, as he stalked over to Ignis, clenching his fists together. 

“There was an attack. The imperial army has taken the Crown City.” Ignis said bluntly.

“As treaty room tempers flared,” Gladio began, reading from the paper he still had clutched in his hands. “Blasts lit the night sky. When the smoke about the Citadel had cleared, the king was found…dead.”

“No, wait, hold on…” Noctis said, confusion and disbelief clear in his tone. 

Prompto remained silent, his own thoughts rattling in his head over the news. He couldn’t believe it. How could it all just be… gone?! His home, his photos, his friends…. _Nyx!_

His stomach dropped, and he moved towards the window, as he scrambled for his phone, desperately looking for his boyfriend’s name in his contacts. 

_Promp_ _to : _ _Just seen the news, are you okay?!_

He clasped his phone in his hand, his back turned to the others as Ignis tried to placate Noctis. His hands were trembling with nerves and he had to resist the urge to check his phone every three seconds as he waited for his hero to reply. Nyx had to be okay. He just _had_ to be. 

“We had no way of knowing.”

“What? Knowing what?"

“That the signing was last night, that Insomnia—”

“But the wedding! Altissia!” Noctis interjected angrily.

“I know, that was the plan.” Ignis replied gently. “Yet the reports of the invasion are all the same. How could every headline in the kingdom be wrong?”

Noctis scoffed, clearly still struggling to wrap his head around the news.“…Lies.”

The room fell into a frosty silence for a brief moment as Prompto stared forlornly out the window. There had been no response. Nyx had been on duty at the citadel for the signing, that much he knew. If he’d gotten out unscathed, surely Prom would’ve been one of the first people Nyx got in touch with. 

“...If only.” 

There was another tense pause after his words, but then Gladio groaned, turning his attention toward Ignis. “What else do we know?”

Ignis shook his head, expression grim.

“Then we can’t be sure until we see it with our own eyes.” Gladio said decisively. 

“And that means we go back to Insomnia.” Prompto answered, a small kernel of hope in his chest. Maybe Nyx was still there.

Ignis replied sternly, warning in his tone. “Might not be safe for us there.”

“Might not be safe for us here.” Prompto shot back. He needed to see with his own eyes. They all did.

Gladio turned to face Noctis. “Turn back?”

They all turned to Noctis, waiting for his verdict. For a moment, his friend sat, his eyes unfocussed, and Prompto couldn’t help but think that he looked so small and lost. It didn’t take long for the despair to morph into anger though.

“Yeah.”

* * *

Dawn broke as Nyx and Cor finally made it out of the crumbling city. Cor hadn’t noticed just how long they’d been fighting Glauca for, the absolute anger that consumed him left little room for noticing things like the passage of time. His brain had only just tuned in when the radio announced the deaths of the King, the Prince and the Oracle. He swore under his breath and tapped his earpiece. 

“Clarus, we’re out of the city. Where the fuck are you?” 

The radio crackled in his ear for a moment before the reply came through. _“Heading towards Hammerhead.”_

“Heard the news?” Cor asked, trying and probably failing to keep the anger out of his tone. “You’re dead. Let’s keep it that way for now. Rendezvous by the haven?” 

_“Good plan.”_ Clarus confirmed with a sigh. _“Do we know if there’s any truth in Noctis’ fate?”_

“Not a clue.” Cor sighed, hearing Regis’ voice begin to panic. “They’ve most likely made it up to prevent any kind of uprising. I’d assume so, since they’re saying you’re dead as well.” 

He knew his words did little to reassure Regis, but it was all he had to offer right now. The main thing they had to focus on at the moment was getting Regis and the Princess somewhere safe. Hammerhead and Cid were their best bet right now. Cor told Clarus he’d deal with Cid and that the Shield needed to get them safely to the haven before hanging up. He sat, fuming silently, as the car cut through the barren countryside. He spoke only to give Nyx directions as they drew close to the outpost. The glaive followed his instructions silently, knowing better than to try and strike up conversation when he was in this foul a mood. Besides, what was there to say?

Their home was gone, their lives were completely changed overnight, and there was nothing they could do to change any of it. Actually, given just how shit this situation was, Ulric seemed to be holding it together pretty well. 

“You don’t have to pretend you’re fine.” Cor said gruffly as the outpost came into view on the horizon. 

“It’s not the first time I’ve lost my whole life in a day, sir.” He answered calmly.

Cor rubbed his eyes. He didn’t know how to respond to that. He could only imagine how Nyx must be feeling, to have been running to Insomnia as his home was laid to waste, only to have the same thing happen again years later.

“Sorry.” Cor muttered. 

Nyx didn’t answer him. There was no need to anyway, Hammerhead was merely a few meters away. They pulled up in the outpost, and Cor’s heart sank when he could see neither Cid nor his granddaughter on the courtyard. They must’ve already heard the news as well. 

He got out of the car, Nyx followed him in silence, and headed over to the main garage building. The Marshal told him to stay put before heading inside, trying to ignore his building anxiety. He wasn’t sure he could deal with another emotional blow right now, and seeing Cid upset over the supposed deaths of his brothers was sure to hurt. Cor didn’t even need to clear his throat to get the man’s attention; Cid had already turned to face him. It was just as Cor feared. There were no tears, but the look of grief that consumed his face broke Cor’s heart. 

“Kid!” Cid breathed out in relief. “Thank the gods you’re alright.” 

Cid strode over to him and wrapped his arms around him in a bear hug. Cor returned the hug with a grim smile. 

“Hey, Cid.” He sighed, pulling away so he could meet Cid’s gaze. “Can I talk to you alone?” 

Cid nodded and turned his granddaughter. “Cindy, hon, would you wait outside?” 

Cindy agreed, wrapping Cor in a brief hug as she walked past them and out of the garage. Cor waited until she was out of sight before turning back to his friend.

“I need a favour.” 

“Favour?” Cid asked, incredulous. “They’re- they’ve - and you come in here asking for a favour?” 

“Yeah,” Cor grimaced, sucking a breath through his teeth. “About that. They’re not.” 

Cid’s jaw dropped but after a moment the man snarled. “The fuck you talkin’ about?!”

“No one can know!” Cor blurted before Cid could say anything more. “They’re fine, they’re both fine, they’re at the haven. Absolutely no one can know they’re still alive. We really need your help, Cid.” 

Cor looked at him with a pleading expression. Cid glared for a long minute, then let out a long sigh, glancing away from Cor. He muttered something very ungodly under his breath before he looked back to him.

“Fine, damnit!” Cid said, crossing his arms over his chest. “What do you need?” 

Cor smiled gratefully, not sure he could express his relief in words. Cid seemed to understand anyway. 

“We’re gonna need a car. And clothes.”

* * *

After checking if Regis’ knee brace was causing his husband any pain Clarus took Regis’ phone off him and broke the sim. Cor was right. It was better that they remain dead. And if Drautos was still out there, the first thing he’d do would be to track their phones. 

“Your highness,” Clarus turned to Luna. “Do you have a phone?” 

“No, Lord Amicitia.” She replied calmly. 

Clarus was about to ask her if she was okay when Regis sat up straighter in his seat, pointing out the window.

“Clarus! They’re here!” 

Clarus followed Regis’ gaze and sure enough, he could see Cor and Ulric making their way to the haven, both holding bags. He got out of the car, meeting them at the edge of the haven. 

“How’s Regis?” Cor asked. 

“Better than he was when we left the city.” Clarus replied, eyeing the bags curiously. 

Cor gave his friend a small grin before forcing one of the bags into his hands. “A gift from Cid. These are for you.” 

Clarus took it, peering in to see a bundle of clothes. Were those… Cid’s overalls? _Oh, hell no_. When Clarus heard Cor snort, he glared up at him evilly. Was he really going to make him wear that? 

“Don’t worry, there’s other clothes for you. The overalls are for him.” Cor explained, nodding at Regis.

Clarus groaned. “And what, pray tell, did you manage to procure for the princess?” 

Nyx grinned, lifting up the bag that he was carrying. “Cindy was kind enough to lend a few things.” 

Well, that was definitely going to be interesting. No wonder Nyx was grinning like an errant school kid. Clarus shook his head and the three went back over to the car to see a very excited King opening the door, reaching for the Marshal.

“Cor! Are either of you hurt?” Regis asked, trying to get out the car on his bad leg. 

Clarus leant down to support him and help him out of the car before he hurt himself. Luna graciously handed the King over his cane, and before Clarus could stop him, Regis had already stumbled over to Cor and clung on to him for dear life. 

“No, Regie, we’re both fine.” Cor sighed, grudgingly wrapping his arms around the King. “We need to get you changed now though, alright?” 

“Changed?” Luna asked, still sitting in the car door. 

“Yep!” Nyx answered her gleefully. He threw the bag he was carrying at her and she caught it with a trepid look. “If you guys are meant to be staying dead, you’re all far too recognisable in your own clothes. Here, you change in the car, and when you’re done, I'll take you across to the garage so we can deal with your hair.” 

“My hair?” She questioned, giving him a worried look. 

Nyx nodded. “Also too recognisable. Don’t worry, I’ve got a plan.” 

Luna’s expression turned distraught, and she looked to Clarus for confirmation. Clarus nodded with a sigh, and bitterly took the clothes out of the bag. He pulled Regis to one side and helped his husband into this… questionable attire, while Nyx and Cor stood guard. The clothes were horrible. They were blue, covered in motor oil, and stains and only the Gods knew what else. Was this Cid’s idea of a fucking joke?! But Regis didn’t seem to mind, no his husband looked far too happy wearing it. Clarus rolled his eyes as he got into a pair of jeans, a black t-shirt and a black and white plaid shirt. Regis started to laugh at him as he took his crown out of his hair, forcing the Shield to shoot a glare at Cor who was on the phone, to hide his embarrassment. 

“I’m so sorry, Iris. I couldn’t get to them. They’re… they’re dead.” 

Clarus’ heart dropped like a stone and Regis immediately stopped laughing. Cor hadn’t noticed them yet, his back partly turned while he continued that heartbreaking conversation with their daughter. Clarus felt Regis’ hand on his arm, and he did his best to silently comfort his husband as they listened in. But they had to do this. They had to lie to keep her safe. If anything good could come out of this it was the knowledge that their little girl was safe even if it broke both of their hearts. 

“I know… I need to know, have you heard from Gladio?” 

From the way Cor’s shoulders dropped, Clarus guessed the answer to that was a negative. He shut his eyes, praying that their boys were okay, wherever they were. 

“Okay, Iris. Stay safe, I’ll be in touch soon, I promise.” Cor said before hanging up. He turned to them, and despite the lingering sorrow in his eyes, he could barely contain a smirk as he looked his friends’ new outfits up and down. 

“Shut it!” Clarus snapped half-heartedly before Cor could even open his mouth. “Is Iris alright?”

“She’s fine. Safe, in Lestallum with Jared and Talcott.” Cor sighed. 

He was about to continue when the car door opened. Luna exited and she looked less than thrilled at her own change of clothes - a pair of denim shorts, white trainers and green vest top, holding a black hoodie. Her hair was down for once, unbraided. Cor bit his lip and looked away from her, while Regis and Clarus wore matching expressions of shock and discomfort. 

Nyx let out a delighted cackle. 

“Looking good, Princess!” He grinned, walking over to her. “You ready to go fix your hair?” 

She let out an exasperated sigh, but began to follow Nyx towards the garage without saying anything. 

Clarus sighed, tugging at the shirt he was wearing. He hated it, and once this whole mess was dealt with, he was going to take great pleasure in setting the thing alight and watching it burn. He helped Regis back into his leg brace and remained silent, allowing Cor to speak. 

“We should head over too. Cid’s gonna get us a car.” 

Clarus nodded, and offered his arm to Regis so they could start walking towards the garage. With Regis’ leg the way it was, it was going to take a while to get there, despite the walk being quite short. He’d probably be better off carrying him. His husband happily took hold of Clarus’ arm and the trio took off. Clarus and Regis badgered Cor for more answers on Iris and how she was doing and thankfully everything the Marshal said was reassuring. Iris was such a brave girl, they were both so proud of her. 

The walk took them the best part of an hour. Regis’ knee injury and the rough terrain between the haven and the outpost were not a good combination for going anywhere fast, but the King was a stubborn man, and refused to let either Clarus or Cor carry him there. When they eventually made it onto the concrete courtyard, they were met with a shrill scream. Cor was ready to draw his weapon but when he heard Ulric’s snide laughter, he faltered. 

“This colour?!” Luna shrieked, storming out of the garage and up to the glaive, shoving a lock of bright ginger hair in his face. “I thought you meant brown!” 

“I said it would be different, Princess. I never mentioned a specific colour.” Nyx corrected, laughing his head off. 

Clarus and Cor began to snigger, while Regis covered his mouth in shock. “My dear… your hair…” 

Luna turned to look at them, dropping her hair and schooling her features with some effort. 

“It’s fine.” She said, her voice barely above a whisper. It was so apparently not fine that Clarus almost felt bad for being amused. Almost. 

“Y’all ain’t gonna keep up this pretense for long if you stand there gawkin’ all day.” 

“Cid!” Regis exclaimed, hobbling over to his old friend as fast as he could manage with his cane. 

“Fuck, Reggie. You look older than me.” Cid answered, watching with growing concern as Regis got closer to him. Once he was within arm’s reach, he pulled Regis into a tight hug.

“I wasn’t lying when I told you the ring was taking its toll.” Cor sighed, grabbing both Luna and Nyx and herding them into the garage. 

“No shit.” Cid sighed. “C’mon, let’s get you inside.” 

Once inside the garage, they rebandaged Regis’ hand as Clarus and Cor explained to Cid what had taken place. Cid listened with a thoughtful expression, silently pitying all of them for the trauma they had just gone through. He was surprised that any of them had made it out of there alive, especially with all the daemons and the Old Wall. Those bloody Niffs. Was there nothing they weren’t capable of? 

“So,” He sighed, once silence had fallen. “What’re y’all gonna do now?” 

“I have to carry out my duty.” Luna said quietly, after a beat of silence.

“You and your fucking duty.” Nyx muttered, rolling his eyes.

“I must awaken the Six, in order for Noctis to fulfill his destiny.” She explained, a note of irritation in her voice. 

Nyx sighed, but remained silent. 

“You shouldn’t go alone. It is too dangerous.” Regis said, watching the Oracle with worry. 

“He’s right.” Cid agreed. “You should go with her.” 

“No!” Clarus snapped. “If it is too dangerous for the Oracle, it will be far too dangerous for Regis. The best thing to do right now is to remain hidden.”

“Well, y’all ain’t hiding here.” Cid grumbled. “I already had your lil’ brats here with a broke down Regalia.” 

“They broke my car?!” Regis shrieked, noticing Clarus holding a hand out expectantly, a smirk curving his features. Regis just smacked his husband away and pouted like a five year old. In a whisper, he sighed. “... they broke my car.” 

Cid rolled his eyes fondly at their antics. Still the same two idiots, even if they were getting old. 

“Told you you have too much faith in them.” Clarus said smugly. “I expect you robbed them blind for the repairs, then?”

“Of course.” Cid scoffed. He made his way over to the till he kept in his office room, and rummaged through it until he’d collected all the gil the boys had given him. Little had they known that Cid would always repair the Regalia completely free of charge, because it was as much his baby as it was Regis’. Cid had no need of the money he’d wrangled out of them - he’d only done it in the first place to teach them a lesson - and right now his three brothers were penniless. He walked back over to them and handed Cor the bundle of cash. “That should help y’all until you get some huntin’ done.” 

“Gee, thanks.” Cor muttered, pocketing the cash. “Ulric, you’re helping me with that.” 

“Sure, whatever.” Nyx said with a sigh. “Doesn’t resolve where we’re hiding them, though.” 

“I am not hiding. I must wake the Six.” Luna insisted. 

“Clarus, we aren’t leaving her to do that by herself.” Regis protested. 

“But-” Clarus began, only to be interrupted. 

“But nothing! Waking the Six will be no easy feat. The least we can do is keep her company on the road ahead.” Regis said hotly. Clarus sighed. He knew better than to argue with his husband when he was this set on something. 

“Good. It’s decided then.” Cor said quickly. “We’ll travel with the Princess.” 

“No, Cor.” Regis interjected yet again. Cor turned and gave him an incredulous look. “You will need to ascertain the fate of the boys, and if Noct is alive, he will need you to give him the key to the tombs. I am afraid you must stay.”

Cor looked ready to argue, but one look at the serious expression on the King’s face made his protests die on his lips. From there, it was decided that Nyx would drive the beaten up truck that Cid had acquired for them and take Regis, Clarus and Luna towards the Disc of Cauthess, while Cor would stay behind and try to get in touch with the boys. 

* * *

_“As to ceasefire discussions between the two nations, all provisional terms have been suspended in light of recent developments. Moreover, in the wake of the news of King Regis’s death, we’ve now received word that Crown Prince Noctis and the Oracle Lunafreya have also been pronounced dead.”_

Prompto cursed mentally, fumbling to turn off the radio broadcast his phone was playing. 

“Keep it on!” Gladio snapped, and Prompto flinched so violently at the Shield’s tone that his phone slipped through his fingers, hitting the ground just as Noctis yelled. 

“Don’t bother!”

Prompto didn’t reply, watching his friend with worry as Noctis turned back to the ruins, his phone pressed to his ear. The skies darkened overhead; a massive rumble shook the ground, and as they looked up they saw those bloody Niff ships flying towards the ruins of their fallen city. 

Noctis paid them little mind, fuming silently as he waited for the call to connect. As soon as it did, he spoke.

“H-Hello? Cor?”

 _“So, you made it._ ” The Marshal’s familiar voice filled his ear. Noct felt a small weight lift from his shoulders. If Cor had made it out, maybe there was a chance...

“The hell’s going on?” He asked, unable to keep the worry and confusion he’d felt the whole drive back here out of his voice.

“ _Where are you?_ ”

“Outside the city, with no way back in.” Noctis answered. 

“ _Makes sense_.”

“‘Makes sense’?” Noctis parroted, and he gave in to his growing anger. “Are you serious?! What about any of this makes sense?! The news just told me I’m dead—along with my father and Luna.”

“ _Listen.”_ Cor answered him, obviously trying to keep his own feelings in check. _“I’m heading out to Hammerhead_.”

Noctis gritted his teeth, letting out an angry grunt, fuming at the lack of explanation Cor had given him. The Prince was about to scream down the phone, demanding more answers when Cor spoke again. This time, the Mashal sounded defeated. 

“ _About the king…it’s true.”_

Noctis’ eyes opened widely, turning sharply around on the spot. He stared at his home as he tried to absorb the news. His dad was dead… if his dad was dead that meant so was Clarus… both his dads were dead. Standing in the rain, looking back at his destroyed home, Noctis had never felt more unprepared for his future, or so alone. Cor’s voice in his ear barely breaks through his thoughts.

“ _If you’re looking for the whole truth, you know where to find me. Get moving_.”

Noctis can’t reply for a long minute. He still couldn’t believe that his dads were gone, just like that, even though he knew Cor would never lie to him about something like this. It still didn’t compute that any of this had happened.

“Right.” He managed to say eventually. He let his arm drop back to his side once Cor hung up. He felt numb, barely registering Ignis walking up to him. 

“What did the Marshal…have to say?” Ignis said gently.

“Said he’d be in Hammerhead.” Noctis answered slowly, still unable to tear his gaze away from the place where his fathers’ bodies lay.

“And the King?” 

Noctis couldn’t even look at Gladio. His silence was answer enough. He heard Gladio shift next to him and the pair stared into the distance together, silently mourning the loss of their parents. 

Ignis cleared his throat after allowing Noctis a moment of silence. “On to Hammerhead then.” 

“No.” Noctis replied bluntly. 

Gladio bore his teeth and grabbed Noctis’ shirt pulling him closer to him. “You listen here-”

“No!” Noctis shouted, pushing himself out of his Shield’s grasp. “We are not going!” 

“Your duty-” Ignis began, but Noctis screamed over him. 

“ _Fuck_ my duty! I’m not doing it!” 

“Woah, buddy!” Prompto tried to calm him down but Noctis wasn’t having any of it. 

“We are not going to fucking Hammerhead! That is final!” 

Noctis yelled as he began to march down the hill ignoring all three of them as they hurried after him. He wasn’t doing it! No force on Eos, not even the fucking Six fuckers in the sky, could make him follow through with his duty! To hell with it all! He felt a hand go for his shoulder - he knew it was Gladio - but before they got a hold on him, Noctis was warping away. He warped all the way back to the Regalia, got into his dad’s car and slammed the door shut. 

It didn’t take long for the others to rejoin him, and once everyone was settled, Ignis turned in his seat to face him, an eyebrow raised in question. 

“I’m not doing it, Iggy. Anywhere that’s not Hammerhead.” 

His advisor sighed heavily, but started the car and drove them away from the smoking ruins of Insomnia, back the way they came. The whole journey was spent in stony silence.

* * *

Ignis parked the car by a haven just as the light began to fade. They made their way to the camp in silence, each of them too wrapped up in their own thoughts to strike up conversation as Gladio pitched the tent and Ignis gathered his cooking supplies. Well, that and they didn’t want to reignite Noct’s temper. Gladio glared at Noctis as the Prince… King, stared into the fire. He was just as furious and upset as his brother was. He wasn’t the only one who had lost them. He wasn’t the only one who had lost their home! As much as Ignis and Prompto were trying to keep it together, Gladio had noticed the blonde kid staring at his phone attentively since they got back in the car. He had seen the aggression Ignis put into making their dinner. Everyone was hurting and Noctis was being a whining little bitch. 

And that was before he even got onto Noct’s blatant disregard for concern for their sister. He hadn’t even asked once, or mentioned trying to find her. Gladio was fairly certain she was alive at least, as he’d tried ringing her and found the number engaged. Since then, his phone had died, and he hadn’t been able to charge it. But Noct was acting like he was the only person in the world right now, and while Gladio could understand him wanting to run away from his duty, his willingness to run away from his family was pissing Gladio off. 

“Noct. We have to come up with a plan.” Ignis said, trying to get through to him. 

“No we don’t.” Noctis said sharply. “They won by right of conquest. They can have it.”

Upon hearing that Gladio rose to his feet in a fit of rage and yelled down at Noct. “To hell with the kingdom! I don’t give a damn about it, or your throne, but I _do_ give a damn about Iris! We need to find her! I need to know she’s okay!” 

Gladio balled his shaking hands into fists to avoid lashing out at Noct. He was so frustrated, and he couldn’t even scream what he wanted at Noct to make him realise how selfish he was being, lest Ignis and Blondie find out about their dads’ secret relationship. Noctis refused to look at him, though Gladio did notice him grit his teeth as he screwed his eyes shut. Now he knew he had Noctis’ attention; he might start listening to reason more. 

“Noct, c’mon! She’s-” He cuts himself off from saying our, gritting his own teeth in sheer frustration and upset. “She’s my sister.” 

He turned away from Noctis as his voice broke, tears building in his eyes. Couldn’t Noct see he wasn’t the only one _hurting_? They were all scared, damn it! Scared, and alone, and the only adult who might be able to at least tell them what they needed to do was Cor! 

“Noct, please listen.” Ignis started again. “If you won’t follow your duty, at least allow Gladio to find his sister.” 

Noctis sighed, still not looking away from the fire. He fished his phone out of his pocket and handed it to Gladio. “Fine. Call her.”


	3. Best Laid Plans...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while... but we have a written a longer chapter to make up for it XD Well we hope it does anyway. 
> 
> Right, you probably want to read so we will let you get on. 
> 
> Please enjoy :)

“The best laid plans, eh?” 

The Chancellor said smoothly as he knelt down on one knee to speak to the failure that lay at his feet. Ardyn cocked his head to the side with a smirk as the General feebly lifted his head up to look at him. Ardyn found this rather amusing; the once great and feared Supreme General of Niflheim had gone had gotten himself attacked by a daemon. The man’s exposed skin was already starting to burn from exposure to the sun and the blood that coated his face had dried, but the more severe wounds were actually oozing with black starscourge. 

“Where’s the King?” Ardyn asked, venom seeping through his words. 

“Chancellor-” Glauca started but he cut himself off when he started to cough up blood.

After his coughing died down, Ardyn placed a finger to the General’s lips and tutted. “Now, now, do not waste your breath on formalities. Tell me, how did a man who is basically at death’s door manage to best you?!” 

“Help me,” Glauca wheezed, his breathing ragged as his mouth filled with the black, viscous liquid. 

“Help you? That is far beyond my abilities. I am no Oracle. Oh but… correct me if I am wrong, General, you should know where she is. No?” Ardyn sniggered, bathing in the irony of his words. However, the Chancellor was getting impatient now and he did not have time to be speaking to the likes of Glauca. “About my question. Where is the King?”

“He- ugh,” Glauca coughed, expelling yet more of the scourge onto the rubble between them. “They escaped. The Immortal-”

“Escaped?” Ardyn gasped, mockery filling his voice. “You? He escaped from you? But I thought you were the best warrior the Empire had to offer!” 

He chortled at the weak glare the dying man gave him. 

“Wasn’t… my fault!” 

“Oh? Then pray tell, whose fault is it?”

“The Marshal’s and Ulric’s.” 

Ardyn’s eyes narrowed in fury. That was not meant to happen! The King was meant to be dead! The Oracle was meant to fall into Niflheim custody after the attack, along with the ring! At the thought of the King’s survival, Ardyn let out an inhuman, enraged growl. He glared up at the sky, cursing the headache that this setback was bound to give him. Why couldn’t this man have just done his job? Was that too much to ask for?! The Chancellor rose to his feet and breathed out slowly, trying to remain calm. This was just another thing he was going to have to deal with. 

Ardyn hummed and stared down at the General. He took pleasure in the knowledge it would be the last time he had to lay eyes on the pathetic, mortal arsehole in front of him. “You know what they say? If you want the job done right, do it yourself. Your usefulness has expired, I am afraid. I will give one word of advice though, as a parting gift: get into the shadows before the sun rises. Or you know… don’t.” 

With that, Ardyn sauntered through the remains of his city, ignoring the desperate cries of the dying man behind him.

* * *

“On the way to talk to Titan, on the way to wake up gods.” Nyx hummed to himself as he drove them through the Duscaen terrain. There was a light drizzle, the dawn breaking grey and bleak, and Nyx was bored almost to tears with the thought of more driving. They had been on the road for three days now, driving through the back roads of both Leide and Duscae regions to reach Lestallum.  The tune - from the cartoon animal robin hood, of all things - was stuck in his head, thanks to Prompto making impromptu lyrics to it for whatever he was doing. It was a habit he’d picked up from him without ever really noticing.

“In the name of said gods, Nyx, what  _ are _ you singing?” Luna asked, sounding exasperated. She turned to look at him with a perplexed expression.

Nyx grinned sheepishly as he apologised. He couldn’t keep the smile off his face as he explained.

“It’s something me and my boyfriend do. Just sing whatever we’re doing to that tune.” His heart panged as his thoughts turned to Prompto. Not being able to get in contact with him had hurt Nyx more than losing his home to Niflheim for a second time, more than everything that had happened since the treaty signing had gone to shit. In theory, he could have contacted Prompto. Unlike with Regis, Clarus and Luna, no one really cared whether or not he was alive, but when he’d gone to call him, he’d fished his phone out of his pocket to find it shattered and cracked beyond repair. Perhaps it was for the best, though. Nyx wasn’t sure he would have been able to justify not going straight to Prompto’s side without telling him what had really happened. Still, he felt awful, leaving his sweet sunshine to think he was dead.

“Noctis’ friend does that, too.” Regis’ quiet remark broke Nyx’s thoughts and he glanced in the rearview mirror to see the King considering him. Next to him, Clarus was fast asleep, head resting on the window.

“Yeah,” He answered back, flashing him a quick grin in the mirror. He and Prompto had nothing to hide, but back when they’d first been dating, they’d both wanted something that was private, so neither of them had ever really spoken about their relationship. Most of their close friends knew they had boyfriends, but they’d never gotten more specific than that. Well, other than Crowe, Libertus and Pelna, who’d found out from spying on him. 

“Is he your boyfriend, then?” Regis asked.

“Uh, which of his highness’ friends do you mean, your Majesty?” 

“Prompto, of course. Prompto Argentum. I’d already know if you were dating his Shield or his advisor.” 

Nyx reached to change gears as they got closer to a bend while he thought about how to answer that, but before he could, Luna had turned in her seat to look at Regis. 

“Did you say Prompto Argentum?” She asked. 

“How do you know him?” Regis cut in, a small grin on his features for the first time since they’d parted ways with Cor. 

“He helped Pryna when she was injured once. I wrote to him, asking him to remain a good friend to Noctis. I’m glad to hear he has.” 

Nyx couldn’t hold back a snort. He knew, of course, that Prompto’s friendship with the Prince had come after he helped the dog, but it seemed that Luna didn’t. 

“Oh? He never mentioned that Pryna was hurt.” Regis said. 

“It happened before he met Noctis, your Majesty.” Nyx explained. “That’s just Prompto for you, he saw a dog in need, and he helped. Your letter’s what encouraged him to make friends with him though, princess.”

“Oh,” Luna exclaimed softly. “That’s… well, I’m glad they ended up friends.” 

“Noctis is lucky to have him.” Regis said with a smile. “And Prompto is lucky to have you, Nyx. It is evident from the way he talks about all you do for him how much you care for each other.” 

Nyx kept his eyes fixed firmly on the road as he felt his face heat up. He’d never known Prompto chatted about him in front of the King. He ignored the smirk Luna sent his way, which only prompted her to dissolve into laughter. When he heard the King sniggering, his face only got redder. How did he get himself into this mess? Thankfully he didn’t have to stay in this hell for much longer; they were nearly at the rendezvous point where they had agreed to meet up with the Marshal after he’d spoken to the boys. 

As they pulled to a stop by the roadside, Nyx heard grumbling coming from the back and more laughter from the King. He got out of the car, and opened the door for Regis to exit, just catching the King’s low murmur. 

“Aw, come now, Clare Bear, waking up to me can’t be all that bad!” 

When the Shield hissed something under his breath in response, Nyx rolled his eyes, and sent a pointed look at Luna, which she returned with a fond smile. After three days in a confined space with them, Nyx and Luna had seen more than enough intimate moments to realise that the relationship between the King and his Shield didn’t end at friendship. At this point, Nyx wasn’t sure why they bothered pretending. Either they seriously underestimated his and Luna’s observation skills, or overestimated their own sneakiness, because he and Luna had caught several drawn-out hugs, and longing looks the two sent each other when the other wasn’t looking, not to mention the hesitations that came before they addressed each other as friends, or the cute nicknames they used when they thought Nyx and Luna were sleeping. Personally, Nyx thought it was kind of pointless trying to hide it anyway after the fall of the city. As far as the rest of the world was concerned, they were both dead! What did it matter if people knew?

Nyx cleared his throat to get the King’s attention as he and Clarus exited the truck. “It’s about a ten minute walk to the haven from here.”

Clarus nodded and stretched his arms over his head with a yawn. The Shield hadn’t wanted to eat into their travel time during the day by letting Regis walk to and from havens with only his cane for support. Instead, Nyx had driven them as close as they could get by road, and Clarus carried him bridal-style the rest of the way, much to Regis’ annoyance. Nyx found it pretty cute but it also saddened him. It just made him think of his sunshine… 

“Lead the way, Nyx.” Luna said, snapping Nyx out of his thoughts. “It’s starting to get dark.”

“Sure thing, Princess.” Nyx nodded and tried not to snigger as he looked at the ginger Oracle. Judging by the unimpressed glare he got in return, he totally failed to keep his amusement off his face.  _ Eh, sue me _ , he thought to himself. There was just something about seeing her with ginger hair that was never going to not be funny.

They made the walk in silence, Nyx keeping a sharp eye out for any daemons or wildlife that might try and sneak up on them. Thankfully, though, none appeared. Once the soft blue glow of the haven border came into sight, Nyx began to relax a little. But, as they drew nearer, he was able to make out the outline of a person. He narrowed his eyes, signalling to the others to stop moving with one hand. He could hardly just approach a citizen with three supposedly-dead people and expect their survival to stay secret. He edged closer, one hand hovering subconsciously over the handle of his kukri, trying to figure out who it could be. It was hard to tell anything about them from this distance and if by any chance they happened to be a Niff, he was going to hottail the King and Oracle out of there fast. 

He began to make his way up the incline to the haven, but as he did, he noticed that the person there had a blade drawn, resting across their lap. He drew one of his kukris and got ready to defend himself on the off-chance they tried to attack him as he reached the top. 

“That’s not a nice way to greet someone, you know.” A familiar voice drawled. 

Nyx let out a relieved sigh as he dropped his guard once more, sheathing his kukri. 

“Were you just sitting there watching me sneak up on you?” Nyx groaned as he turned and sent a wave to the others. 

Cor merely grunted in response, but he did join Nyx at the edge of the haven to watch over Luna and Clarus, who still had Regis in his arms, as they made their way towards them.

“Hey Cor!” Regis grinned enthusiastically as Clarus set him back on his feet on the safe side of the haven boundary. Once he was standing without aid, Regis looked at the Marshal again, only his face dropped. “Uh oh. You’re mad. Why are you mad?”

“Your asshole sons didn’t turn up!!!” Cor shouted abruptly, making both Nyx and Luna jump out of their skin. 

“For the love of the Six, Noctis Lucis Caelum.” Regis muttered to himself, pinching the bridge of his nose. Now how were Noct and Gladio meant to know they were actually alive? Phoning and texting was still a no-go, for fear of the Empire tracking them. The King looked up and tried his best to apologise. “Cor, I am really sorry-” 

“I don’t want to hear it!” Cor snapped, glaring with such ferocity that Nyx swallowed. “If you hadn’t mollycoddled them so fucking much-”

“Cor that is quite enough.” Clarus interjected, feeling just as enraged as Regis but right now was not the time for arguments.

“Piss off Clarus! I just spent two days sitting around waiting for your damn sons to show up! I even tried calling them and they aren’t answering any of my calls! If you’d managed to instil even a single iota of discipline into them, they wouldn’t need chasing into doing their gods-damned jobs!”

“Excuse me?! You aren’t exactly...”

Nyx sighed and sat by the fire with Luna as they watched the argument unfold. It was actually a little scary seeing all three of these men lose their rag with each other and the argument only became more heated when Insomnia’s fall was brought into the mix. The glaive turned to the Oracle and scoffed: 

“How did these three ever run a kingdom?”

“SHUT THE FUCK UP,  _ GLAIVE _ !” Cor screamed at him. 

Nyx was stunned following that outburst. For a moment only the soft sounds of chirping crickets could be heard around them as Nyx - and everyone else - processed what Cor had just said.

“What the hell did I do?!” 

“Nothing Nyx.” Regis quickly assured him. “Cor didn’t mean to take it out on you, did you Cor?” 

Regis levelled a stern glare at Cor, which only earned him a scowl and a very sharp: “Piss off!” 

“Why are you so angry?!” Clarus demanded hotly.

“I’M NOT!” 

Nyx rubbed the back of his neck as Cor stormed off to the other side of the haven to sulk and everyone else fell into a tense silence. 

Nyx didn’t know what to do or where to look. Being referred to as ‘glaive’ stung him a little more than he’d care to admit. There was nothing left of that tratious order and Nyx never wanted to be associated with it again, but more than that, it felt as if Cor was putting him beneath him. The Marshal fucking knew his name, even the King was calling him Nyx; it hurt being branded with a traitor’s title, like his efforts in getting the King and Luna out and keeping them safe counted for nothing. Hadn’t he already proven that he was on their side? He’d always known that the glaives were viewed as nobodies, but especially now, the glaives were nothing - dead or traitors. He pushed his rising anger to one side, instead focusing on making sure the others ate something. At some point in the evening, Luna pulled him to one side to ask him if he was alright. Nyx could only nod. If he spoke, he probably wouldn’t contain his emotions. It took a few hours, but eventually Cor reluctantly rejoined them, muttering a vague apology at Nyx, refusing to meet his eyes, and explained that his outburst was the result of stress, a couple of bratty ‘kids’ and a few rough nights. 

“S’fine. I’ve had worse screamed at me.” Nyx snorted. He was still hurt, but he knew how easy it was to say something in the heat of the moment, and they couldn’t afford to fall out right now. And besides, he really had had worse screamed at him by Drautos on a daily basis.

Cor nodded, turning to Luna who accepted the apology without question. Nyx sighed.  _ Of course  _ she didn’t think twice about it, she was so forgiving. Why did he expect the Princess Oracle to have any other reaction? 

Once that was over, Cor turned to his brothers. “Regis, Clarus. I’m… sorry.”

Regis gave Cor a warm smile and patted him on the shoulder, while Clarus rolled his eye and gave him a snide smirk. “Not the first time you’ve lashed out at someone. It won’t be the last either, knowing you.” 

“So, Noctis and Gladio still don’t know that we’re alive.” Regis sighed, sorrow lingering in his tone. 

Cor shook his head. “And he can’t be planning to open the tombs any time soon, ‘cause he didn’t pick up the fucking key.” 

Another silence fell as they all let the implications of that sink in. The Prince was running away from his duties. Nyx could understand that, to be fair. He wasn’t sure he’d be immediately ready to step up to being King if he thought he’d just lost his home and family, either. He glanced around at the others, but they all seemed lost in their own thoughts, staring at the fire. With a deep sigh, he asked the question he knew was on everyone’s mind. 

“So…. what do we do now?”

* * *

The night air was crisp and cool, an occasional breeze brought a chill that their campfire only just managed to offset. Prompto shivered lightly, eyes stinging from his prolonged focus on the white glare of his phone screen. The sun had set a while ago, the soft orange hues almost entirely swallowed by the deep blue of the night sky. There were enough stars out to see by, though. They were far away enough from civilisation that there was no pollution to block them. Under any other circumstances, Prompto probably would have found it breathtaking. He probably would have been messing around with his camera settings, trying to capture the perfect shot, trying to encompass the vastness of space above them - they would have never gotten this magical sight in Insomnia. But, they weren’t in different circumstances.

_ Why hasn’t Nyx picked up yet? It’s been days now! _

That was all Prompto could think as he continued to stare down at his phone. Every spare moment Prompto got, he found himself staring at the screen, but there was nothing at all and it had been that way since… since they lost their home. And it was slowly breaking his heart. He thought maybe that Nyx would have texted him, just one text to let him know if he was okay. Nyx would always text him when he started work, finished work, before he went on deployment and when he came back. With this total unresponsiveness, he was beginning to think that maybe Nyx… hadn’t… 

Prom blinked when he felt something hit his head. He looked at the ground to see a cup noodle pot at his feet. He looked over towards where Ignis and Gladio had been sitting for the past hour or so and gave them a bewildered look.

“Blondie. Specs and I have been talking.” Gladio whispered, so that Noctis couldn’t hear them from the tent. “Have you got a signal?” 

“Yeah.” Prom nodded, glancing down at his phone to check. Three bars, which meant there wasn’t even a chance Nyx’s message hadn’t come through.

Ignis leant forward in his chair and whispered at the same volume Gladio had. “Noctis is in need of more guidance than we can provide for him. We were wondering if you could get in contact with the Marshal and give him our location.” 

Prom gave them both a confused look. He wanted his phone free at all times in case Nyx texted him, or in case Pelna or Libertus got in touch, just so he could know if his lost boyfriend was alright. The look on his face must’ve given away his thoughts, since ‘ _ why can't one of you do it?’  _ was on the tip of his tongue when Ignis answered the question before he could even voice it. 

“He took our phones.”

“Yeah, so we couldn’t do what we are asking. So can you do it?” Gladio asked again, with more persistence than before. 

“Y-y-yeah.” Prompto stuttered, going through his contacts until he found the Marshal’s number. But there was one problem. Without realising it, his voice became louder. “What do I tell him? I have no idea where we are-” 

“You say nothing, Prompto Argentum! Don’t you dare!” Noct’s angry voice interjected him from the tent. 

An awkward atmosphere filled the camp as the three stared at each other in silence. 

After a moment or so, Gladio ordered: “Do it.”

Prompto quickly got to work drafting a very quick text to send to Cor, reading  _ ‘Noct won’t do anything plz help’ _ and just as he pressed send the phone was snatched out of his hands. Prompto turned in his chair, desperate to get his phone back from a fuming Noctis who had turned the phone off and shoved it into his armiger, completely out of Prom’s reach. 

“Dude, give it back!” Prompto pleaded, he needed that phone! “Please, give it back!” 

“I said, we are not seeing Cor!” Noctis gritted his teeth, eyes blazing with hatred as he looked to all his friends. “I said, we would go to Lestallum for Iris; we should have gone straight there! If I’d known the real reason you wanted us to stop, I would have never agreed to it! You wanted me to fish or to go on hunts, my  _ arse! _ You aren’t getting this back! In the morning, we are leaving! Goodnight!” 

Prompto watched, eyes watering, as Noctis went back into the tent. Now there was no way Nyx could get in contact with him. Not wanting to cry in front of the others, he stood up and went outside the haven to cry his sorrows away. Neither Ignis or Gladio followed him and he was glad of it. Prompto wanted to… not grieve, as such, but come to terms with the possibility that maybe Nyx wasn’t coming for him alone and in silence. 

* * *

The sun was warm and the air was dry as the boys made their way towards Lestallum. Very little was said in the car, all of them sticking only to things that needed to be said, and Noctis refused to even spare a glance at Gladio who had decided to sit in the front for a change. Next to him on the backseat, Prompto sat staring out of the window, one leg bouncing restlessly as he chewed on his fingernails. Ever since Noct had snatched his phone away from him last night, he’d been visibly anxious, and was still ignoring all of them in favour of staring off into the middle distance. Noct wasn’t sure why, really. Prompto didn’t get on with his parents, and he was pretty sure his friend had said they were currently in Altissia anyway. He could admit that he had been a little hurt and a lot infuriated by Prompto’s behaviour since the city fell. It’s not like he lost his family, like the rest of them had. Even with the building resentment he was harbouring towards his friend, he did feel a little guilty, because taking his phone off him seemed to have made him a million times more anxious. 

He wasn’t going to give it back though. He couldn’t. Doing so would almost definitely lead to Cor finding them, and Noctis simply couldn’t risk that happening. The way he saw it, agreeing to meet Cor meant agreeing to try and take back the throne, and that meant admitting to himself that it was all real. That his dads were gone and there was no hope for them, or any of the other people who’d died in that attack. Noctis couldn’t do that. Not yet. He didn’t want the throne, and he wasn’t ready to give up the small remaining hope he had that somehow, his dads had made it out alive. That thought stung. Of course they weren’t alive! It was a pipe dream, yet one he knew he shared with both Gladio and Iris. 

_ Oh Iris _ … he missed his little sister so much. 

Fortunately, for both Noct and Gladio, they didn’t have to wait long to see her again. Within the hour they had parked up in the city of Lestallum and made their way towards the Leville. When they walked inside the hotel Noctis saw Iris and he couldn’t help but smile.

“Noct!” Iris said with glee, running down the stairs to give him a hug. 

“Iris.” Noctis returned the gesture and closed his eyes tight. He was not going to cry. No, he was just relieved to see her well and alright. “Are you okay?”

Iris nodded and pulled away. “Yeah. How have you guys been holding up?” 

“We’re doing alright. Come here, squirt.” Gladio said, stepping in front of Noctis to hug their sister tightly.

Noct couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy. He so desperately wanted to hug his brother and sister and grieve over their parents together… but tensions between him and Gladio were too high for that. Instead, he had to wait on the sidelines, with Ignis and Prompto, until Iris showed them to their rooms in the hotel and explained to them what happened in Insomnia. Noctis couldn’t believe what he was hearing… Fire and daemons and people running for their lives, terrified of what would become of their families. What would become of their homes and their lives… Noctis could feel his anger begin to bubble away at the thought of his little sister having to go through that. He was so thankful to Dustin for getting her out. However, his new found anger was still not enough to make him want to take on the royal duties that were now expected of him. In fact, it made Noctis feel more closed off and more determined to block everything out. 

Iris, forever upbeat, carried the conversation while Noctis brooded. For a change, Ignis and Gladio actually left him to his thoughts, which he was very grateful for. Without realising, at some point during their conversation, Noct fell asleep. When he woke up, about an hour later, Ignis and Prompto were no longer in the room. 

With a big yawn, he asked: “Where have Prom and Specs got to?” 

“Talcott has taken them out sightseeing.” Iris confirmed with a smile. 

“Blondie couldn’t wait for your sorry arse to wake up before he got some shots of the city.” Gladio stated, in a gruff voice.

Noctis nodded and he couldn’t bring himself to look at the pair of them. This was the first time the three of them had been alone together since… they lost everything. It was overwhelming. Noctis felt his eyes heat up and he knew there was nothing that could be done about the tears that were about to fall. He felt the bed dip and a pair of skinny arms around him, and he knew it was Iris. She was crying too. 

“Sorry.” Iris whimpered. 

“What? No, this isn’t your fault.” Noctis assured her. 

“But-” 

“Iris, look at me.” Gladio said loudly, kneeling in front of the pair of them. “None of this is your fault. It was Niflheim. They’re dead because of Niflheim.” 

“I am not blaming myself, Gladdy!” Iris shouted, tears leaking from her eyes. Because she was still in Noct’s hold, he did what he could to sooth his sister. “I am sorry that we lost our parents! I am sorry that we can’t bury them and give them what they deserve. But what I am more sorry about is that you two haven’t even seen Cor yet!” 

“Well, you can thank Noct for that.” Gladio muttered, folding his arms petulantly. 

Noct screwed his eyes shut, trying to ignore his building frustration. 

“I am  _ not  _ seeing him!” He spat, the words coming out harsher than he intended, standing up so he could move away from Gladio.

“What?” Iris gasped. Noct opened his eyes slowly to see her looking at him incredulously. “But, why?!” 

He sighed, glancing away from her. “I just… I don’t want the throne, Iris. And I know everyone’s waiting for me to take it back, but I can’t do that. I can’t.”

“Noct,” Iris sighed. “You’re the King now. I know you never wanted to rule, but people need you! We just lost our homes, our families, our lives, and it’s hard, but everyone else did too! Don’t you think they-” 

“I KNOW! I wish people would stop saying that!” Noctis shouted as anger overtook him again. 

“Oi! Iris hasn’t done a thing!” Gladio yelled, standing abruptly. He towered over Noct, glaring. “Do not take it out on her!” 

“I am not!” 

“Shut up!” Iris screamed, making both her brothers turn to face her and they both couldn’t help but gulp. She was angry. Very angry. They both regretted making her cross because her fury could level that of Clarus’. “You two arguing is going to get us nowhere!” 

A tense silence enveloped the room, broken only by Iris’ heavy breathing. Her eyes were shut tight, her hands clenched into fists by her side, and Noctis could see her jaw working as she reigned in her anger. 

“We need each other!” She spat, opening her eyes and glared at them both in turn. “I just lost my dads, I don’t need my brothers to make me feel completely alone because they’re ignoring me while they’re busy acting like thick-skulled idiots!”

Noct’s breath caught in his throat as fresh tears welled up in Iris’ eyes. A sob tore loose from her throat, and he stepped forwards at the same time Gladio did. They both wrapped her up in a hug, holding on to each other too. 

“Sorry.” Noctis choked out around the lump in his throat, feeling his own tears begin to spill down his cheeks. “I’m sorry. It’s all so fresh, and  _ real _ , an-an-and I can’t-” 

Gladio squeezed his shoulder gently in silent support, and when Noct blinked to refocus his eyes, he found Iris watching him with a sad smile. 

“It’s okay. We get it, there’s a lot to step up and deal with, and it only happened less than a week ago. But you’re not alone.” Iris sighed, wiping at her cheek with one hand. “You’ve got me and Gladio, and Ignis, and Prompto, Jared, Talcott, and Cor, all to help you. That’s what friends are for, Noct.” 

Noctis nodded, glancing away from his baby sister.  _ When did she get all grown up and wise?  _ He wondered to himself. 

* * *

“We are not splitting up! That is final!” 

Nyx buried his face in his hands and let out a low grunt. They had been arguing all morning about how they would get through the bloody gates so that Luna could do her fucking duty and wake up the Archaean, who probably wasn’t even worth their trouble anyway; and the King was not listening to reason. How on Eos were they meant to sneak him past the Niffs?! Yeah, maybe him or Cor could get Luna through with no trouble but not the King…

“Regis we have to.” Cor argued back. “Do you really think you and your fucked leg can walk on sharp rocks and uneven grounds? Don’t be fucking stupid!” 

“Clarus can carry me.” 

“No I bloody won’t! Cor is right, it is too dangerous for you to go.” Clarus said bluntly, rubbing Regis’ back lightly.

“But we are safer together!” 

“No one is disputing that, Your Majesty.” Nyx smiled, thinking how kind and caring Regis truly was, but man was he dumb sometimes. Nyx leant his elbow on Luna’s shoulder and continued to speak in an upbeat tone, hoping to persuade the King to everyone else’s way of thinking. “But ginger here wants to wake up a god and the quicker we can get in and out, the better. We’ll be back in no time.” 

Nyx saw Luna roll her eyes at her new nickname, but was denied the chance to laugh at her when he heard the Marshal scoff. 

“You’re gonna take her, are you?” 

Nyx nodded. “Well, it’s either that or - no offence your Majesty - or listen to him cry about your safety for the next few hours. I’d rather keep what remains of my sanity intact.”

“Hey!” Regis protested but he was drowned out by Clarus and Cor laughing at him.  _ Phew, _ Nyx thought to himself. At least he wasn’t going to be killed by either the Shield or the Marshal for that remark. 

“It will be alright, your Majesty. Nyx is a very capable warrior, so I couldn’t be in safer hands.” Luna said, finally being able to contribute to this argument without being shouted over. “And as Nyx said, it is best to get in and out as quickly as possible, so that we can get back here safely.” 

For a moment, there was silence as they all watched Regis purse his lips in thought. 

“Fine.” He eventually sighed, still not sounding at all pleased with the decision. 

“That’s that, then.” Nyx grinned as he straightened and began to check over his weapons. “Come on, ginger.” 

Luna sighed pointedly at the nickname, but followed Nyx out of the haven without any protest. 

Cor moved over to the border, the soft blue glow barely visible in the daylight, and watched them until they disappeared from his view. He knew Nyx was more than capable of protecting Luna, but he still worried. As much as he agreed it was best for Regis to stay here, Cor also agreed that splitting up was dangerous. If anything did happen, Nyx would be completely alone, with no hope of even calling for backup. 

_ Ping! _

Frowning, Cor pulled his phone out of his pocket. Since it had become evident that Noctis was ignoring him, he wasn’t expecting any messages. He opened the text, ignoring Regis and Clarus chattering behind him. From the sounds of their voices, they were already beginning to argue about something or other. Nyx had definitely been right to want to preserve his sanity and leave for a bit. 

_ Noct won’t do anything plz help _

Cor closed his eyes and let out a sigh. He knew he should have tracked down the boys instead of finding Regis and Clarus. Cor turned around and called out to his squabbling brothers. 

“Regis. Clarus. We have another problem.” 

“Oh, gods, what now?!” Clarus spat, turning to look at Cor without moving from his spot on the ground. 

“I just got a text from Prompto,” He explained, as he strode over to them, waving his phone in his hand. “Asking for my help because, and I quote, Noctis won’t do anything.” 

Regis facepalmed, vehemently cursing his son under his breath.

“Brilliant.” Clarus muttered, then sighed loudly. “Well, we need him to step up, so you’d best go as soon as they get back.” 

Cor hummed, rapidly typing out a reply. If he was going to have to go to them, he needed to know where he was going.

“For now we wait.” Cor said as he watched it send. Then he flopped down in between his brothers with a sigh.

* * *

“Still don’t know how to get through those gates, ginger.” Nyx sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“We could find another way around.” Luna suggested, looking along the blockade. 

Nyx laughed. “There isn’t another way. It might be better to wait until nightfall.” 

“We assured His Majesty we’d be back before nightfall! I do not intend to make him worry.” 

“Well, unless you are suddenly the Princess of Niflheim, we ain’t getting through there.” Nyx retorted. 

When there was no immediate response, he turned to Luna, only to find her staring at something in the distance, mouth hanging open in shock. One hand settling on his weapon, he followed her gaze to find a group of Niff soldiers surrounding a sour-faced, important-looking asshole. His hair looked almost identical to Luna’s. Well, before he’d dyed it.

“Who the hell is that?” He asked, falling into a crouch so they were hidden from the group’s view. Luna ducked down next to him.

“It’s Ravus.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note:  
> The song that Nyx is humming is called 'Whistle stop.' from Disney's Robin Hood (1973). Or many other people will know it as the 'hamster dance song'. And if you never realised they were the same thing and know what we are talking about I am sorry for inflicting that upon you XD Only realised this myself at the beginning of this year that they were the same thing and it drives me nuts!!! (Thank you WhoStarLocked for pointing it out *rolls eyes*) - TDD :)


	4. Blood Is Thicker Than Water

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! 
> 
> WhoStarLock and I are so sorry! Social distancing and adult life is making this collaboration writing a little difficult to do, not to mention the fact we now live 170.8 miles away! But like always, we hope you enjoy this as we are really excited to share this next chapter with all you lovely, lovely people. XD 
> 
> Please enjoy :) - TDD and WSL

“It’s Ravus.” 

Luna gasped, unsettled by the sight before her. Her brother had always followed orders from the Empire, she even went as far as calling him a ‘lap dog’ before they left for Insomnia, however, this time it would appear he was commanding them. None of them seemed to be looking or calling for a higher authority to reinforce her brother’s commands because he was the commander. What had become of him?

“That’s the guy who put on the ring.” Nyx said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “We gotta go, ginger.” 

“No.” Luna whispered, feeling torn. 

“We need to leave.” The glaive insisted, pushing at her gently to try and get her moving. Still, she didn’t budge.

“He’s my brother, Nyx…” 

“Shit.”

“Besides, the covenant-”

“Oh, fuck your fucking duty! There’s no way we can get through here without being caught!” Nyx hissed. 

“Don’t swear at me!” Luna retorted hotly, tearing her eyes away from her brother to glare at Nyx, only as she did, Nyx lunged forwards, covering her mouth with one hand. His other hand cradled the back of her head as he bodily shoved her to the ground. Slowly, he removed his hand from her mouth, and just as she was about to give him what for, he pressed one finger to his lips. 

Luna’s eyes widened as she realised that her brother and his soldiers had probably heard her last remark. She held her breath as she and Nyx remained in their concealed position. She didn’t understand it but she felt terrified. Of her brother? Or what he had become? She didn’t quite know and she didn’t want to find out either. She didn’t want to face the cold dark reality but at the same time she wanted to know if Ravus was alright. 

“Come out, Lunafreya. I know you’re there.” Ravus’ bored tone cut through the tense silence. 

For a long moment, Luna just stared at Nyx, too caught up in her worry to form a coherent thought, let alone voice one. Nyx stayed completely stock still, watching her with a tight frown. She knew he didn’t approve of revealing themselves to him, but the way she saw it, they had no other choice. Ravus believed they were there, and sooner or later he was probably going to come and look and find them. Either they revealed themselves and  _ maybe  _ he’d listen to her, or Nyx would have to try and fight their way out, which was probably a recipe for disaster. 

“What choice do we have?” She whispered, eyes searching Nyx’s face for any kind of reaction. “You can’t fight them all and keep me safe. Even if you did, they’d only come looking for us.” 

She waited patiently while Nyx looked skyward, biting off a sigh. He knew she was right, and he sat up, allowing her to do the same. She offered him a small smile - which she hoped looked more confident than she actually felt - and stood up, exposing their hiding spot to her brother. 

“Ravus.” She greeted him quietly, feeling Nyx standing at her shoulder. 

“Gods! Lunafreya, your hair!” 

Luna fought the urge to roll her eyes. She hated this hair colour so much. As she was about to ask her brother not to mention the current state of her hair when she noticed his arm. She gasped harshly and vigorously looked between the silver metal and her brother’s cold blue eyes. 

In a whisper, she breathed out “... your arm.” 

Ravus glanced down at the metal limb and shifted uncomfortably, a rueful expression on his face until he turned back to her. Instead of addressing her, like she had expected him too, in an angry tone he ordered the troops to leave, claiming that he would escort them to his dropship alone. Luna felt Nyx grab her arm, as she knew this would be a prime opportunity to escape, but she wasn’t going to move. She knew despite all that had happened, in the last few days and years, he was still her brother and he would never hurt her intentionally. Maybe… she could use that to her advantage. 

Once they were alone, Ravus scowled at Nyx. “I see you are running around with traitors.” 

“Excuse me?! I am not the traitor here!” Nyx sneered back. Who the hell did this guy think he was anyway?

“No.” Ravus agreed in a dismissive tone. “You look too simple for that.”

Luna extended one arm across Nyx’s chest, a silent order to stay put, even as she felt him go tense, preparing to fight. She could understand - that had been horrendously rude of Ravus, never mind the fact that it wasn’t true, and it was probably a very sore spot for Nyx still, after Marshal Leonis’ recent outburst.

“Stop it, Ravus! You have Nyx to thank for me getting out of Insomnia alive at all.” 

“Yeah, no thanks to you.” Nyx spat back.

Ravus scoffed. “So what? You made him your pet guard?” 

Luna felt rage beginning to boil her blood. When had Ravus become so mean?! 

“Like the Empire made you theirs?” She said coldly, scanning his uniform, noticing the new insignia pinned onto his shoulder. She blinked and looked at him with a hint of fear. She would’ve recognised that insignia anywhere. How could she forget it; it was the same insignia that had been embedded into her mind since the fall of her home. “You’re the High Commander?” 

She looked him up and down, her lip curling in disdain. 

“Yes, actually. So I’m a little more important than the ‘lapdog’ you like to tell yourself I am.” He replied, making air quote marks with a glare. 

“Draut- Glauca’s the High Commander.” Nyx said, confusion present in his tone.

“Glauca’s dead.” Ravus replied flatly. 

Luna saw Nyx nod out of the corner of her eye. That was a weight off both their shoulders. At least they weren’t running from that man anymore.

She couldn’t help but scoff at her brother’s firm belief in his value. Ravus was only kidding himself if he thought this meant the Empire saw him as anything more than a tool to be used and discarded as they saw fit. “What are you doing here?” 

“Looking for you. I knew you’d feel compelled to carry out your duty, including seeing the Chosen fulfill his destiny. So I ask, where is the Ring of the Lucii?” 

“Like we are gonna tell you that.” Nyx said, pushing Luna behind him. He knew they should have run when they had the chance. 

“You think I would harm my own sister?!”

“Well you did nothing when Glauca tried to kill her! So yeah, I do!” 

Ravus’ eyes narrowed in fury and he went to draw his sword, scowling at Nyx. “How dare yo-”

“Enough, both of you!” Luna shouted. She stepped out from behind Nyx, although she didn’t dare venture closer to Ravus. Only the gods knew what he’d do right now. “Forget what has passed, right now all that matters is that I wake up the Archaean. Ravus, please, you know how important it is that I do this. You  _ know  _ what’s at stake and… so did mother.” 

She looked at him imploringly, and after a moment he relented with a huff. He released his grip on his weapon and straightened. 

“Very well. Follow me.” Ravus ordered, pushing passed them without any further explanation. He was the blood of the Oracle after all, and he had been brought up on the story of the Chosen’s fate and the Oracle’s. 

Luna exhaled and silently thanked her brother as she went to follow him. However, she felt a tug on her arm, preventing her from following. 

“You can’t trust this guy.” Nyx whispered harshly. “He maybe your brother-” 

Luna interjected, whispering as quietly as she could. Nyx was right about not trusting Ravus but he was her brother and this was their only chance. “We need to get back to His Majesty. This is the fastest way.” 

She pulled her arm out of Nyx’s hold and quickly walked to her brother’s side, and the glaive soon walked behind them, making sure he was no more than a few strides behind the former royalty of Tenebrae. The trio remained silent as they walked towards the massive gate that had prevented them from accessing the Archaean’s place of slumber. She caught Ravus glancing at her hair every so often and she swore she saw his features curl into a smirk. She lightly smacked him on the arm to tell him to keep quiet. That made her heart warm up. Even if that interaction was done in complete silence, they hadn’t been that close and connected in such a long time. She may hate the road that her brother had followed but it was in that moment she knew she could trust him to help. Not with the location of Regis and Clarus though. There was still hatred burning in Ravus’ gut for the ‘dead’ King of Lucis. It was better to keep all of that a secret until she was certain Nyx trusted him. That did not look at all likely to happen. 

Once they stood at the gate, Ravus ordered for the gates to be opened. Luna sensed Nyx tense up, more than likely reaching for his kukris in case they were ambushed. Thankfully, Luna’s faith in her brother paid off. The gates were opened and the trio were granted access. Luna noticed that there weren’t Niff troops roaming these grounds, which she found odd, but she was not about to question it. It would allow them to wake up Titan faster. 

“So this is Titan’s resting place? Would it hurt him to clean up around here?” Nyx joked as they traverse down the rocky, dust and uneven slope. 

Luna shook her head with pity and neither she or Ravus laughed. “Nyx, do you know where we are?” 

“Yeah. It's the Disc of Cauthess. The site where the meteor hit.” 

“Correct.” She smiled before explaining further. “This is now sacred ground. A site of pilgrimage for many. Moving anything would be seen as disrespectful to the Archaean  _ and  _ the Founder King of Lucis.” 

“Hold up! The Founder King is buried here?!” 

“Yes.” 

Nyx looked around the abandoned and isolated wasteland and chuckled. “His family must have  _ really  _ hated him.” 

“Enough with your folly, I'm tired of it.” Ravus snapped. 

“Tragic.” Nyx said, completely deadpan. 

Ravus stopped in his tracks and slowly turned. He closed the short distance between himself and Nyx and towered over him, glaring. 

“Didn’t anyone ever teach you to hold your tongue?” 

“They tried.” Nyx winked at him while obviously fighting to hold in a smirk, not intimidated in the slightest by her brother’s closeness. Luna could see Nyx’s indifference only fueled the fire in Ravus’ gut.

“Nyx, Ravus, please!” Luna said in a brusque tone. She was quickly losing patience with both of them. “I need to get this done, so will you two just stop bickering for five minutes?!” 

Ravus stared at Nyx for another moment before relenting. He turned back around and strode off, leaving both of them behind. 

Nyx sidled up to Luna, shoulder-checking her gently.

“I do hope you know what you are doing, ginger.” He muttered in her ear as he passed her, before following Ravus at a leisurely pace so that Luna could catch up to him.

_ This is like looking after two small children. _ Luna thought to herself as she briskly walked past the two men, ignoring her brother and glaive as she went on ahead. She had to do this. This was her duty. More importantly, she had to do this for Noctis. The ground started to crumble under her feet as she stood on what remained of the Founder King’s tomb. She ordered the pair to stand back and swiftly summoned the Trident of the Oracle and began the ritual to wake up the Archaean and ask him to give Noctis his blessing. 

A familiar warmth passed over her skin as her hands glowed. Behind her, she heard Nyx murmur something under his breath, and she smiled to herself. People always reacted the same when they first saw her heal, and she imagined that this sight was no less impressive. She closed her eyes momentarily, wiping thoughts of Nyx and Ravus and all the hectic confusion that was her current life from her mind so she could focus solely on the task at hand.

Then, she began to sing.

* * *

Prompto couldn’t help but look at their surroundings with alarm again as another giant tremor ran through the ground. The rumble was deafening, and it made every bone in his body shake. It was almost like the start of an earthquake, except it did no damage to the land surrounding them. Then again, it could be damaging infrastructure elsewhere for all he knew. The downside to all this, Noct had them camping yet again. 

“What the hell?” Gladio groused as the loud rumble faded again. “It’s almost like Titan’s knocking around!” 

“Perhaps he is.” Ignis said, turning to look at Noctis with a stern glare. “We might know more if we checked the book.” 

“What book?” Prompto asked, looking between Noct and his advisor with confusion. 

There had been an undeniable tension between the pair since Noctis stole Prompto’s phone and foiled their plans to get Cor to help them get Noctis back on track. And Noct still hadn’t returned his phone to him, which had not helped Prompto’s anxiety in the slightest. He knew it was highly unlikely that Nyx had made it out and not contacted him by now… but then, he could have, and Prompto wouldn’t know because Noct was too damn stubborn! Prompto had to admit, there was growing resentment between him and his best friend as well. 

At the very least, Gladio seemed to have come to some kind of understanding with Noctis while they were in Lestallum. 

“The book that Noctis thinks he got away with sneaking into his armiger to be ignored.” Ignis sighed, folding his arms as Noctis refused to look at him.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about, Specs.” Noctis answered, sounding bored. “Luna’s dead, so there’s no point looking at it. It’s only here because Umbra had probably already set off when it all happened.” 

“Probably.” Ignis repeated flatly. He was clearly unconvinced by Noctis’ explanation. At this point, Prompto was inclined to side with Ignis. They shouldn’t be making any assumptions now. If there was even a chance that the Lady Lunafreya was still alive, then they should be doing all they could to locate her and ensure her safety. Gods knew he would be doing anything and everything to get Nyx back if he had a lead, even if it was just a book. 

“Don’t you even wanna check? I thought you loved her.” 

Prompto only really registered what he said when Noctis turned to him, with a dark, angry look. He was seething, and Prompto could only gulp in the face of his friend’s anger. 

“Shut the fuck up! None of you get to judge my decisions, least of all you, Prompto, cos yeah your parents might be dead, but you don’t even fucking care about them anyway! How could  _ you  _ possibly understand my choices right now? She’s  _ dead!  _ She is dead and dad is dead so the book doesn’t fucking matt-” Noctis roared, but he cut himself off suddenly, and gripped his head, his expression shifting from fury to pain in the blink of an eye. 

Despite the abuse that was just thrown in his face Prompto couldn’t help but let out a gasp of concern as Noctis fell to his knees groaning in pure agony. 

“Noct!” Prompto shouted in fear, as Ignis and Gladio immediately went to the Prince’s side, holding him still so he didn’t completely fall to the floor and hit his head on the ground. Anxiety skyrocketing, Prompto whimpered. “Is he okay?” 

“Noct, can you hear me?” Ignis asked, somehow keeping his composure calm. While Gladio steadied Noctis, Ignis began to tilt Noct’s chin back and check him over. Ignis pursed his lips, his face tight with worry. 

“‘M fine, Ignis.” Noctis slurred, batting Ignis’ hands away from his face half-heartedly.

“No, you ain’t, Princess.” Gladio stated, picking Noctis up carefully, before walking towards the car. “We are going back to Lestallum.” 

“But-” 

“No buts. Gladio is right.” Ignis sighed, standing up himself. “Prompto, would you help me pack up the camping gear?” 

“S-sure,” Prompto replied, still watching Gladio herd Noctis towards the car. He bit his lip, trying to quell his nervousness. This was the fourth time in the last hour that Noct had suddenly come down with a weird headache out of nowhere. 

They worked in silence as they cleared away the chairs and Ignis’ cooking equipment, but as they moved towards the tent, Ignis spoke quietly. 

“Prompto? I understand it doesn't excuse Noct’s behaviour, but this is grief talking. He doesn’t mean a thing he is saying.” 

Prompto nodded, but he couldn’t make himself meet Ignis’ gaze, even when he felt the advisor’s stare boring into him. The thing was, Noct’s comment had hurt. It just so happened to play into one of Prom’s numerous insecurities, and even though it was grief talking, Prompto couldn’t shake the feeling that it was partly true. That it was Noctis’ real feelings about Prompto bleeding through. Something must have shown in his expression.

“You can talk to me, you know. I may be his advisor, but I am also your friend.” 

Prompto gave him a grateful smile. “Thanks Iggy… I don’t want to talk about it right now, though.”

“Very well then. If you change your mind, I’m here for you.” 

They finished getting everything packed up and together, and when they got back to the car, Noctis was fast asleep. Gladio had to give him a sleeping potion to help as the pain was too much for him to cope with. Well, at least there wouldn’t be any awkward silences on the drive to Lestallum. 

Hopefully. 

* * *

Nyx was quick on his feet and caught Luna before she fell backwards. 

“Easy there, ginger.” He grinned as he steadied her until she found her feet again. 

Luna thanked him breathlessly, and Nyx pointedly ignored the glare that Ravus gave him over the top of Luna’s head. Whatever. If he’d wanted to play protective brother, he should have been quicker. 

“If you’re finished here, Lunafreya, I will escort you and your…  _ guard _ ,” Ravus sneered, shooting another enraged look Nyx’s way. “To my airship. I can take you wherever you need to go next.” 

“No, that won’t be necessary.” Luna breathed out, holding on to Nyx’s arms for support. 

“Don’t be silly, ginger we-” Nyx cut himself off, when he noticed the look the Oracle was giving him. He forgot they had to get back to His Majesty. Nyx grinned at the silver haired man to try and cover up his near slip up. “On second thought, we can walk.” 

“You want to walk to Angelgard?” Ravus asked skeptically. “I could get you there in less than half an hour.” 

“I need to rest, Ravus. And besides, I have other duties to perform. The starscourge hasn’t gone anywhere.” Luna said tersely. 

“All the more reason for me to take you.” 

“Ravus, please? I know what I am doing.” 

Nyx glanced around at the rocks to try and avoid the growing tension between the two siblings. For a moment there was no noise save for the breeze rustling through the debris strewn on the ground and then Ravus sighed heavily.

“I hope so, Lunafreya. I hope so.” 

“I know so, brother.” Luna stated, pushing away from Nyx to prove to her brother she could support herself. “I need to do this and I have to do it my way, so that Noctis can fulfill his destiny-” 

“That may well be pointless, Lunafreya.” Ravus said, suddenly looking very tired. “According to Niflheim intelligence reports-”

“According to Niff intelligence reports, he’s dead.” Nyx cut in. He nods towards Luna. “And so is she.” 

“Unfortunately, that isn’t the case.” Ravus said, giving him a sour look. “He is alive and he is not fulfilling his duty.” 

Luna sighed, letting her eyes shut momentarily. “He will.” 

She didn’t sound all that confident to Nyx. If the scoff Ravus gave was any indication, he wasn’t convinced either. But that worried the glaive. Surely, Prompto had talked his best friend around into doing what was right?  _ Oh shit!  _ Had something bad happened to his sunshine?! However, he could only panic in silence as Ravus’ voice cut through the air. 

“You have far too much faith in the Caelums, dear sister. By reports we have received, he has only reached Lestallum and none of the royal tombs have been opened.” 

Nyx and Luna shared an uneasy look. It wasn’t exactly news to them, after finding out that Noctis hadn’t met up with Cor to collect the tomb key, but it was still concerning to hear it confirmed, and by the Niffs at that. Why were they going to all this effort if their esteemed Prince was just going to sit on his ass and twiddle his thumbs? All Nyx wanted to do was hurry this up and get in touch with Prom as soon as possible. But he didn’t have his phone either… _ Fuck! _ Everything about this fucking sucked! 

“Well, I am sure he has a plan.” Luna said, brushing dust from her dress. Then, she turned away from both of them and began to walk back the way they had come. 

“What plan is that ginger?” Nyx asked hotly, stomach churning as the thought of Prom stuck to the front of his mind. “I am sorry, and excuse my language, but he is sitting on his fucking entitled arse and there is nothing we can do about it!” 

“Nyx!” Luna exclaimed, turning to face them.

“Your guard is right, Lunafreya, loathe as I am to agree with him. Is it fair you are doing all this work, for it all to be in vain?” Ravus asked pointedly. He sighed again, glaring at the ground for a moment. Then, he looked up at Luna with a resigned expression. 

“I will not dissuade you from this, will I?” 

“No, you will not.” Luna told him calmly. 

“Very well. I do not want to see you putting yourself at risk for naught.” Ravus said reluctantly. “I shall talk to Noctis for you.” 

Nyx looked between the pair incredulously. Was he for real?

Luna sent him a grateful smile. “Thank you.”

Ravus nodded, but he looked decidedly unhappy. Nyx just didn’t get it! If he didn’t want to help, why had he offered? Oh, fuck him and his stubborn ways. They had to hurry and get back to the King before he began to worry and once there, he could come up with a plan to meet up with Prom again. By the Astrals, he prayed that he was alright. 

“Take care, Lunafreya.” 

“You too, Ravus.” Luna replied softly, wrapping her arms around her older brother. 

Nyx turned away to give them a semblance of privacy, but it was soon over, and he found himself trailing the siblings as they made their way back to the gate. 

Once they parted ways with Ravus, they made their way back to the haven in silence. He didn’t think he could bring himself to talk on the way back. Not with seeing a God awoken and the new worries that involved his boyfriend and the Prince. Nyx just wished Drautos didn’t fucking slice his phone! How did that man still manage to fuck his life up from beyond the grave?! If Luna hadn’t been so tired, he knew she would ask him what the matter was. He was glad of it really, he needed the silence. He couldn’t help but sigh as the haven came into their sights. When Nyx saw Cor’s silhouette at the edge, no doubt looking for them, he raised a hand wearily in greeting. 

“Well, there’s good news, and interesting news.” Nyx sighed as they reached the haven proper. He turned back and offered Luna a hand up the last of the slope. She looked as if she could sleep standing up, bless her. 

“Oh?” Clarus asked from where he was sitting next to Regis, not so subtly removing his hand from the King’s knee. Nyx barely refrained from rolling his eyes at the gesture. That was just salt in the wound. 

“Luna, my dear, you look exhausted!” Regis exclaimed as he looked up at the oracle. 

“I am rather tired.” She admitted with a soft smile. 

“You might as well get some rest while we’re here, your Highness.” Cor said, moving a camping chair over to her. 

“Thank you.” 

Once Luna was seated, Clarus cleared his throat to get the glaive’s attention. “What do you have to report, Ulric?” 

“Where do I begin?” Nyx chuckled. 

“The beginning?” Cor asked snidely, folding his arms across his chest. 

Nyx rolled his eyes. He was really fed up with snotty comments today. He sat down by Luna and retold the three older men what had happened with Titan and exactly what Ravus had told them about Noctis. Regis and Clarus looked disappointed and Cor remained silent during his explanation. 

“...and then he offered to try and talk him around.” 

Regis choked on his drink, eyes going wide. “He did what?” 

“He offered to help, Your Majesty.” Luna said weakly. “I am sorry, I really must rest.” 

Regis nodded. “Of course, my dear. Have a rest in the tent. We won’t leave until you are ready.” 

With another nod of thanks, Luna retired into the tent. 

“Well, Ravus offering to help a Caelum. That’s a turn up for the books.” Clarus remarked. “Cor you better get off, find the boys and make sure Noctis listens to him.” 

“Right.” 

“Hold up.” Nyx interjected, before the Marshal could make a move. “Can I go? Surely Marshal, you are better suited to stay here and help Lord Amicitia look after His Majesty and ginger. As you pointed out before, I am just a glaive. It is a more sensible idea, right?” 

Cor had the decency to look guilty at the mention of his previous outburst. “Didn’t know you did sensible, Ulric.” 

“So can I go?” Nyx asked, a little hope rising in his chest. He could see Prom if they said yes. 

“I don’t think anyone should go.” Regis said quietly, frowning at the flames of the fire. “The boys will be fine, and what with Clarus and I unable to be seen, it makes sense to stay together. That way there is someone with us and someone with Luna at all times.” 

“Dear, you have more faith in the boys than they deserve.” Clarus said. 

Both Regis and Cor levelled a glare at the Shield at that remark, and Nyx couldn’t hold back an irritated sigh. 

“Oh please! You two really aren’t as subtle as you think you are. So you’re hitched, so fucking what?” His misery bled into his tone. When he saw the bright shade of red appear on the King’s and Shield’s faces he thought he was going to get in trouble for speaking out of term. But the laughter from the Marshal put that worry to rest. 

“He’s got you there, you two!” Cor continued to laugh before turning to Nyx, getting his work phone out of his pocket. “You’re right, you should go. And before you do, Prompto Argentum texted me. I got nothing in terms of location, only that Noct won’t do anything. Take my phone and I’ll contact you on my personal one if we need anything.” 

Nyx took the phone with a nod of thanks. Hearing Prom’s name took a weight off his shoulders.

“At least wait until morning, Nyx. Get some rest.” Regis said earnestly, and when Nyx looked at the monarch he saw nothing but sympathy in his eyes. Perhaps he had realised how much it hurt Nyx to watch him and Clarus be so close. 

“Sure.” He agreed easily, stretching as he stood. He moved over to the tent, careful not to disturb Luna as he settled down onto one of the other bedrolls. He fell asleep almost instantly, the thought of getting to see his sunshine soon keeping his heart warm and safe-

Suddenly Nyx sat up, very awake, and rushed out the tent as quick as he could, no longer worried about waking Luna up. 

“Guys!” Nyx shouted, getting all of their attention. “Glauca’s dead. Thought you would like to know. Night.” 

He ducked back into the tent, and fell asleep in seconds.

* * *

Ardyn wanted to fucking scream - how difficut could it be to find the bloody Prince when Ardyn had been littering breadcrumbs for the wretched boy to follow?! Maybe it was his own fault, for trying to track down the King at the same time. This was a headache he really did not need. Why had Bahmut cursed him - again - with the task of killing two Kings?! If that fucked up God really wanted Regis dead he should have let him end his life on Founder’s Day all those years ago. 

General fucking Glauca. That man truly had ruined everything. That twat! Ardyn hoped that Bahamut was making him suffer as much as he was now. Oh well, if he stayed in Lestallum long enough, fate may be kinder to him. Ardyn scoffed at his own thoughts. He highly doubted that. When had fate ever spared him? 

The Chancellor adjusted his hat, so the blazing sun didn’t harm his head and leant on the wall. He thought after nearly 2000 years of isolation he’d be used to waiting by now...

“Dude, being in this heat isn’t good for your head.” 

“I agree with Prompto, Noct. Perhaps we should go and see Iris at the Leville, while you recover.” 

Ardyn whirled around at the sound of the Prince’s name. 

He could hardly miss the snotty little Caelum. Ardyn had to bite back a growl as for a minute he thought his eyes had deceived him and he saw his long-dead younger brother walking down the street towards him. Of course, the Chosen King was the spitting image of Somnus. He noticed the similarities in their hair and eyes when they met at Galdin, but now without that pesky Shield in front of him, Ardyn could clearly see his face, and he realised the similarities didn’t end there. His hatred for the Prince only escalated with their soon to be second greeting. 

“I’m fine!” Noctis spat. “Stop going on about it.” 

_ He was entitled too? _ It didn’t surprise Ardyn in the slightest. Exactly like Somnus. Ardyn was going to take great pleasure in ending his worthless existence.

“All the same, you really should think about your health. You headaches have only gotten worse-” 

“What a coincidence.” Ardyn interrupted the group with the wave of his hand, and a smile as fake as plastic. 

“I’m not so sure it is” Gladio grumbled, putting a hand on Noct’s shoulder so he could pull him away from the man they had met before everything fell apart. 

Ardyn stepped a little closer, ignoring the rude tone of the Amicitia.  _ Shields… they were very entitled too it would seem. _ “Aren’t nursery rhymes curious things? Like this one-” 

“I haven’t got time for any creepy old hobos today! Get out of my way!” Noctis exclaimed pushing past Ardyn, stomping his feet on the hot ground. 

“Excuse us.” Ignis sighed, pushing past Ardyn to follow after the sulking Prince. 

Ardyn levelled an affronted glare at the retreating Prince’s back.  _ Who the fuck did he think he was calling a hobo?!  _


	5. On The Road Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Slides into this story after nearly four whole months of nothing.... and bows head in shame.) 
> 
> I will just say WhoStarLocked and I only write this when we are inspired too... and we have sorely lacked that for a few months XD It is actually pretty hard placing all these different characters in certain places, figuring out where they should/could/would be next! But not to worry it is out now and we are very pleased to give you the next chapter! 
> 
> FYI there probably won't be another update for this story until next year and we are beyond grateful for all the support this fic has got and your patience with us on these gods long update. (Also since coming into this fandom I have been saying gods not god! I love it XD - even if one particular god does not deserve recognition coughBahamutcough. This universe is just wonderful XD)
> 
> Anyway enough of me gabbering on, please enjoy :) - TDD
> 
> (Oh and happy birthday Cor Leonis!!!)

Nyx awoke to the gentle patter of rain on the canvas of the tent, and the quiet snores of Lord Amicitia. He lay still in the tent, watching the shadows shorten as the dawn broke and the sun’s light began to shine. He glanced to his side, but his four travelling companions were still fast asleep. Sighing quietly, he dragged himself upright and made his way out of the tent, careful not to disturb the others. 

The sky was overcast and grey, and the air had a biting chill despite the sunshine. Nyx stretched and coaxed the remnants of last night’s fire back to life. He set a pot of water boiling, because even this far up shit creek, Regis had insisted on having a cup of tea in the mornings. That done, Nyx sat down and stared at the flames as the sun continued rising. 

It wasn’t long before he was joined by Cor. 

Nyx gave him a small greeting and he got a tired grunt in return. Nyx laughed. “Thought the Marshal of the Crownsguard was a morning person.” 

“You’d be wrong.” Cor responded, rolling his shoulders. He hated camping so much. “I forgot to mention last night. Don’t say anything to Clarus or Regis, it’ll only upset them, but Iris called me. She said she may have a lead as to where the boys are.” 

Nyx’s heart skipped a beat. He placed all his attention solely on the Marshal, itching to know more. Prom was out there after all, and Nyx needed to get to him fast. He needed to have his sunshine in his arms again. 

“They were in Lestallum. She said they left, and that they said nothing about their next move. That would be the best place to start.” 

“Thanks, Marshal.” Nyx said, looking in the direction of the nearby city, its lights dancing in the midst of the new dawn. 

On foot, it would probably take him about half a day to get there. By that time, they could be long gone, especially since they had the Regalia for transport and he had nothing. However, it was his best shot. Lucis was a big place after all, and who knows, maybe a local had heard them conversing about their next set of movements. From the sounds of it the prince was complaining like there was no tomorrow, so someone in that city must have heard his constant whingeing. It was a shot in the dark, but again, it was the only solid lead he had. 

Cor handed him a handful of berries and poured him a cup of the steaming water. Nyx took both gratefully and thanked him quietly. Both men ate their meagre breakfast in comfortable silence. 

When he was done, Nyx rose to his feet and retrieved his bag from the tent. He checked through his stuff quickly and packed some more food that Cor offered him. It would be enough to see him to Lestallum, at least. 

He glanced back towards the tent, but there was still no sign of movement from the other three.

“If you wait for them, you’ll be walking there in the dark.” Cor said from his seat by the fire, his back to Nyx. 

How the hell he’d known what Nyx was thinking, Nyx would love to know. Shouldering his bag, he walked back over to him, offering him a half-assed salute. 

Cor’s lips twitched like he wanted to smile. 

Nyx began to walk to the edge of the haven, but he paused, throwing a smirk over his shoulder. “Marshal, I just wanna say, I wish you luck with those old farts and ginger.” 

Cor groaned and tilted his head up to the heavens. “I’ll bloody need it.” 

Nyx laughed. “Better you than me, you have already put up with them for… how long again?” 

“Too long.” Cor laughed fondly.

“Well, at least you’re used to dealing with it, that’s more than me!” Nyx grinned. 

“Quite.” Cor answered, the fond smile remained. 

As Nyx turned to walk away, he saw Cor’s face dr op,  and before he could leave the haven, the Marshal’s voice made him stop in his tracks.

“Hey, Ulric?” 

Nyx turned to face him again, one eyebrow raised in question. 

He blinked in surprise, the Marshal suddenly looked so weary, and… sombre.

“If…  _ when  _ you find them, just. Look after Prompto for me?”

Nyx frowned.  _ What on Eos..? _

“Right. ‘Cause my plan was to find them and then  _ not  _ look after my boyfriend.” He replied, sarcasm lacing his tone. 

Cor blinked. “Your boyfriend?” 

“Yeah, I’m dating him. That’s why I said  _ I’d  _ go and find them, because I want to see him. His Majesty and Luna knew about this, I figured they’d have said something.” Nyx explained hesitantly, watching Cor closely. This whole conversation seemed so bizarre.

“Those fucking bastards never told me that.” Cor muttered, his eyes screwed shut tight, teeth gritted. 

“Marshal, are you okay?” He asked, his concern leaking into his tone. He’d never seen the Marshal like this before. It was more than a little unsettling.

“Just great.” Cor answered bitterly. Then, he sighed. “Okay, so you’re dating him. Please just promise you’ll look out for him? As a favour for me?” 

“Of course I will. I gotta ask, though, why are you asking me to?” 

Cor winced, his gaze turning wistful as he looked at the horizon. “Because I can’t. I can’t protect him anymore. There’s so much he doesn’t know…”

The Marshal sighed again heavily, then turned to look at Nyx fully, the weight of his gaze making Nyx feel like he was rooted to the spot.

“Certain things might come to light soon, and I need to know that there’s someone with him, who’s going to be there for him when I can’t be.” Cor answered cryptically, looking away from Nyx once more. 

“I don’t understand-” 

“You don’t need to. Just stay by his side.”

“But-”

“Good morning, Nyx, Marshal.” Luna’s voice filled the haven, followed by a yawn. 

Both men glanced over to her, and she smiled, but her lips pursed in displeasure when she took in Nyx. 

“Were you going to leave without saying goodbye?” 

Nyx set aside thoughts of his weird conversation with Cor and smirked at her put-out expression. “Yep. That’s what you get for sleeping in so late… Why, did you want a hug goodbye, ginger?” 

The Oracle rolled her eyes and huffed when she yet again noticed the colour of her hair and Nyx couldn’t help but laugh at her. He was actually gonna miss her, even if she annoyed him endlessly with her dedication to her fucked up duty. 

It appeared that the day was full of surprises, as Luna stalked towards and gave him a hug. He smirked, returning the embrace. 

“Didn’t have you down as a softie, ginger.”

“You’re the one who told me to drop the brave princess act. Don’t be so surprised.” Luna sighed, letting him go, taking a small step away from him. 

“Yes ma’am! Don’t go jumping off of ships, cause I am not gonna be there to catch you.” 

She snorted, smiling softly. “I’ll make no promises.” 

“Right. Marshal, honestly, watch her. She doesn’t have a problem putting your life in danger as well as her own.” Nyx warned, pointing towards Luna as he spoke. 

Luna made an affronted noise in the back of her throat as she made herself some tea.

“Noted.” Cor grinned. “As I was saying before, I’ll let Iris know to expect you.” 

Nyx thought it best to leave then without badgering Cor about his weird request - he clearly wasn’t going to get any answers. Besides, if the King was the next to wake up - which was very unlikely, but still - he’d never get to leave.

* * *

Seeing the light at the end of the long tunnel leading into Lestallum was like walking through the gates of heaven. After hours and hours of trekking on his own through the scorching sun, dusty roads, and having to fight a sabertusk or two, Nyx had finally made it and he desperately needed a drink. He had emptied his water bottle a little over two hours ago; his throat was dry, and he had a sheen of sweat coating his back and if he didn’t quench his thirst fast he had a feeling he would pass out. When he reached the streets, they were packed! It wasn’t surprising, a lot of Insomnia’s citizens had flocked here in their hundreds for safety and their presence made the city even hotter. Consequently, that caused his own temperature to rise. Worse, it made his task of tracking down one fifteen-year-old girl a thousand times harder, especially when he couldn’t go announcing her presence in the streets. Nor could he discreetly ask any passersby if they had seen her, it would look very dodgy on his part. 

Thankfully, as he walked a little further into the city, he saw a restaurant. Most of the customers were sitting outside enjoying the sun, eating food and downing cool liquid like it was going out of fashion. He scanned the seating area, hoping that maybe someone had felt their drinks on the table unattended. He had completely forgotten to get gil off the Marshal before he left and there was no way anyone was going to give him free water, not after what the kingsglaive had done to their King and country. He was already beginning to feel unsettled as some people were giving him odd looks and others gave him death glares. It honestly would not surprise him if the people started to become hostile towards him and tried to throw him out of the city-

“Nyx!” 

At the sound of his name, he whirled around, searching through the crowds for a familiar face. 

“Nyx! Over here!”

Nyx followed the sound of the voice and luck was finally on his side. Iris Amicitia was running towards him, pushing past people as she did so. He quickly made his way towards her and he was more than relieved when he saw she had a water bottle in her hands - seemed that the Marshal had also realised his little cock up too.

“Here.” She said, forcing the water into his hands when they were barely a foot apart. 

Nyx guzzled it down quickly, savouring every moment, treating the water as if it were gold. That was very much needed. 

After downing half of it, he stopped to breathe. “Thanks.”

“Not a problem.” Iris nodded, before taking hold of his arm. “Quickly, follow me.” 

She gave him little choice as she dragged him through the streets in the direction of the Leville. For someone so small, she was actually pretty strong. He guessed being a member of house Amicitia meant she had to follow in their footsteps and uphold the family name. 

After a few minutes of wading through the masses, they finally reached their goal. Iris told him to follow her up the stairs and down a corridor until they came to the very end of it. She unlocked the door and when Nyx entered, he made sure to finish the rest of his drink as he sat down on the comfiest looking couch he could see. 12 hours of endless walking had knocked all the stuffing out of him. 

“Do you need more water?” Iris asked, picking up a jug of iced water, ready to just hand it all over to him, not bothering with the glass. 

“You’re a lifesaver.” Nyx said, quickly taking it off her. 

Instead of drinking it, he tipped half of it over himself and bathed in the coolness of the water as the cold bit his skin. The aircon as it circulated around the room was really helping to cool him down too. At least he wasn’t going to get heatstroke.

“Man, this uniform was not designed for heat.” 

Iris giggled. “Yeah, Noct was complaining the other day about the traditional attire of the royals too.” 

“Yeah? They were here recently?” He asked before placing the jug to his lips so he could drink what remained of the water. 

“Yeah. They left yesterday.” Iris said, sorrow coating her features. “They’re really not doing so good, Noct especially. He’s not thinking straight. Gladdy is getting mad at him and they keep fighting, Ignis looks exhausted having to deal with it all and Prom looks so sad all the time.” 

Nyx nearly choked upon hearing about his sunshine. So… Prom really did think he was… he must be so distraught and trying his best to keep it all together for Noctis’ sake! Nyx couldn’t fight the anger that bubbled away when he thought about the prince. How could he not see that the sweetest person alive was suffering too? Ignorant. That was what Noctis was. He did not deserve Prom at the moment. When Nyx next saw Regis he was going to talk to him about his parenting… 

“Nyx? Are you alright?” 

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Nyx said, shuffling in his seat. “Did they tell you where they were going?” 

“No. Just that I had to hold tight.” 

Nyx was really hoping for too much there. “Do you have any idea when they will be back?” 

Iris shook her head. 

_ Of course not _ . Nyx let out a frustrated groan, letting his head fall back and his eyes slip closed for a moment. So much for having a solid lead. 

“Nyx, can I ask you something?” 

Nyx raised his head back up and he was immediately concerned. Iris sounded timid. In all the years he had known her, she had never used that tone before. It was disheartening and he had a feeling he knew what she was about to ask him. He hated lying to people in general, but especially to children. 

“About my dad…” She began, no longer able to look at him. “You were there when Insomnia fell, do you know what happened? Was it quick?” 

Guilt coiled in Nyx’s chest as he looked at her. Her eyes were wide, and there was something in them that resonated deeply with him. That yearning to know what had happened if the people she loved had suffered… he’d seen that look in his own eyes for months after Galahd fell.

“...and, I know this sounds odd, but was my dad with Regis? Were they together?” 

Nyx swallowed, heart breaking because he understood why she was asking this of him. She hadn’t - so she thought - only lost one parent. She had lost two and she was trying to find some solace in that they had died defending each other, died loving each other and that they weren’t ever alone, not for one moment. A small lump rose in his throat, stopping him from answering for a moment. Risk be damned, he couldn’t lie to her!

He glanced around the hotel room, but the windows were all shut and there was no one else in the room with them. Mind made up, Nyx stood and moved towards her. With one hand, he guided her chin up until she met his gaze, and then he offered her a soft smile.

“Okay, listen. You can’t tell anyone else this… not even your brother, unless you see him in person, okay?”

Iris frowned slightly but offered him a small nod as a response.

“The thing is… Cor and I got them out. They’re alive.”

* * *

Cor truly regretted allowing Clarus to sit next to him as they continued on their drive towards Angelgard. His brother was constantly turning around to talk to Regis or being nit picky over his driving - nagging him, saying he was either going too fast, or too slow, or he was in the wrong gear, or he nearly hit a person that had wandered aimlessly into the road! If Clarus said one more thing he was going to-

“Cor, check your bloody mirrors.” 

“That’s it!” Cor yelled, purposely slamming on the breaks as hard as he could. 

The truck jerked everyone forward and because Clarus wasn’t facing Regis, he got whiplash. Good. Maybe he might actually shut up now. 

“What the fuck are you playing at?!” Clarus shouted, groaning in pain. 

“Will you let  _ me  _ drive?” Cor asked, not looking at the shield. Instead he glanced in his rear view mirror to see Regis looking more than concerned for his husband and the Oracle recovering from the initial shock of the emergency stop. Because Clarus failed to respond to Cor, he handed him a potion and sighed before carrying on driving. “Good. That will teach you to shut up.” 

“Cor, stop being mean.” Regis ordered, holding on to Clarus’ hand, gently placing his lips to it to make him feel better. “Seriously, what is bothering you?”

“Nothing.” Cor grumbled, changing gear angrily; ignoring the glares that were now being thrown his way. 

“Is it Prompto?” 

Cor’s snarl escaped him when he heard the Oracle speak. “Yes, actually! Regis, why the fuck didn’t you tell me he was dating Ulric?!” 

“He’s what?” Clarus asked, growing a little wary of Cor.

“I didn’t think you wanted to know…” Regis said sheepishly, ducking his head into Clarus’ hand.

“You didn’t think I wanted to know my damn baby was in a relationship?!” Cor snapped, taking his eyes off the road to glare at the king. 

“Cor, I know you care about him, but he’s not yo-”

“Finish that sentence, I  _ dare  _ you.” 

The car fell silent as guilt consumed the king and shield. They should feel guilty. After all, they were the ones that ‘strongly suggested’ he give Prompto up because he wasn’t old enough to care for him properly. That was Cor’s biggest regret in life. Listening to them. It was only by chance that Prom entered his life again when Noctis announced he actually made a friend. It had been so hard to sit on the sidelines, unable to say a word when Prompto joined the guard. Unable to contest that he should be at school and not in the training hall. Unable to give advice he felt Prompto needed in case the boy felt he was intruding in his life and others within the guard saw it as favoritism. It  _ was  _ favoritism, because despite losing him and being out of the picture for most of Prompto’s life, Cor still saw him as a son! 

This was all getting too much. 

He slammed on the breaks again and got out of the car to take a breather. The three of them allowed him the break without question. But he could hear Regis’ remorseful words as he explained to Lunafreya what that outburst was about. Cor closed his eyes as their guilt-ridden voices became a little louder as he sat down behind the truck, leaning up against the tyre. They weren’t the only ones who were feeling guilty, Cor did too. Although, Prompto wasn’t the only thing distressing the Marshal. 

Stupidly, the one person Cor really really wanted to talk to, to try and feel better, was the one person causing him to feel so damn guilty in the first place. He’d even blocked their number out of guilt. Well, that and he’d been so furious, because of all the times they could have  _ said something! _

Cor kicked the tyre in sheer frustration, not that it made him feel better. Ugh, it was hopeless. This is what he deserved for being stupid enough to believe that it could ever work. And because he was so reckless and dove in head first… he got burnt. He couldn’t even go to his brothers for advice, none of them, not even Cid or Wesk, they’d all end up despising him. 

_ Come on, Leonis. Pull yourself together! _ He thought to himself, rising from the floor so he could get back in the driver's seat. He yanked the door open and climbed back into the truck. 

“Cor, I-”

“Can it, Regis. I don’t wanna hear it.” He sighed, starting the engine and pulling back onto the road. 

Thank the gods, the pair of them took the hint to not speak to him for the rest of the journey to the shore. There was some chatter, here and there, but none of it was directed at him. To be honest, he wouldn’t be able to keep up with the conversation if they had decided they wanted to risk talking to him. His mind was all over the place with so many emotions, more emotions than he had felt in a very long time. Like always, he kept them locked up, wearing his stone-cold facial expression. However, he didn’t know if he could contain them for much longer and that alone was enough to worry him. 

As the sun dipped in the sky, they finally came to the shore. Taking the back roads to the coast was a pain in the arse, but necessary in keeping Regis, Clarus and Luna out of the public eye - they were supposed to be dead, after all. Cor quickly got out of the truck, scouted out the place to make sure it was safe before he helped Clarus escort both Luna and Regis to a nearby haven. The haven, unfortunately for them, was crafted on a bed of sharp rocks but it was either that or get eaten alive by daemons and dying was never an option. Considering Regis was the most fragile of the group, all three of them insisted he take the flattest piece of ground they could find within the haven for him to rest. The King did protest but his objections fell on deaf ears and he eventually gave in, on the condition that he and Luna swap places halfway through the night so she could also get a half-decent sleep. Cor and Clarus decided not to bother arguing with him, made a fire for warmth, and came up with a battle plan for tomorrow morning. 

In order to wake Ramuh up from his slumber, they needed to get Luna to the Island of Angelgard but without a boat that would be impossible. Somehow they needed to first acquire a boat - whilst avoiding Regis, Clarus and Luna being recognised, sail the damned thing across the seas and somehow get onto the island’s shores without their boat capsizing in the choppy and dangerous waves. The legend of the Adagium’s prison was not one to be taken lightly. Many had died trying to reach that godforsaken land; the only person known to have made it over there and back again completely unscathed was Verstael Besithia, who had Solheim technology on his side. They didn’t have that. They didn’t even have a boat and barely enough gil to feed themselves, let alone buy one! If none of them had lost their credit cards in the fires of Insomnia it would have made this fucking task a lot easier!

Cor didn’t know why he was complaining to be fair. Nothing in his life had ever been straightforward. Why start now? 

Not too long after coming to the conclusion they should lay this conversation to rest for the night, Clarus went to lay down by his husband to get a few minutes of slumber while Cor stood guard. He should have gotten some sleep too but because of the sharp rocks they couldn’t risk pitching the tent. The haven was the thing that protected them against the daemons but nothing was shielding their visuals from their enemies. The only saving grace they had was that Glauca was dead and Cor could only assume he hadn’t had a chance to report that Regis had escaped, as they hadn’t been followed yet-

Hang on!

If that was true... that meant they weren’t being followed altogether. Surely someone would have caught them up by now if they were. In that case… 

Cor glanced over his shoulder at the sleeping forms of his friends behind him. He pursed his lips, debating with himself for a moment before he nodded, mind made up. 

He was going to go out there to find and steal a boat before dawn broke. It wasn’t impossible to assume that someone had left a rowboat or something by the shore and they didn’t have enough gil to buy one so it was their best chance… besides, Clarus could do his job by himself for a few hours. 

Standing, Cor stretched and wandered over to the edge of the haven. A chill ran up his spine at the thought of stepping out into the darkness, but after he checked for his weapon he shuffled across the barrier of light. 

Only a mere foot out of the safety of the haven, he stopped and scanned the surrounding area with his eyes for a final time to make certain there were no daemons lurking in the ragged landscape. Nothing seemed to be -

Cor caught his breath, steadying his grip on his katana when he saw something move out of the corner of his eye. Snapping his head in the same direction, he caught a glimpse of a dark shadow that hadn’t been there moments prior. Cor stood his ground, staring the tall dark shadow down, knowing better than to go in for an attack until he knew what he was up against. 

There was a small rustling sound that grew louder as the shadows lengthened and seemed to grow closer to him. Cor tensed, readying his blade when suddenly the darkness resolved into a familiar silhouette. 

“Hello, my darling.” A sultry voice drawled, a strong hand sweeping Cor’s blade aside with ease. 

Hot anger curled through Cor’s chest, and even as he let his katana slip back into the armiger, his hands balled into fists. 

“Don’t you dare, Izunia!” He hissed, practically spitting in the man’s face. Up close like this, he wasn’t sure whether he wanted to kiss him or punch his lights out - on one hand, he’d missed him terribly since their last rendezvous, but on the other… No! What the hell was Cor thinking?!

He  _ knew!  _ This fucking arsehole knew exactly what was going to happen and didn’t say a thing! He waltzed into Insomnia with the emperor, and he even had the audacity to spend the night in his bed, and not once did he fucking warn him what was about to transpire! Not even a hint!  _ Nothing! _

“Don’t you dare ‘hello my darling’ me, you absolute bast-”

“Now, now, love, I’d keep my voice down if I were you.” Ardyn interrupted him, gently placing a finger to Cor’s lips, a small smirk playing over his features. 

Cor snarled, violently batting his hand away. “Don’t you dare touch me!” 

“Marshal?” 

Cor’s heart leapt into his mouth upon hearing the voice of the Oracle behind him. Oh, shit! If she’d overheard… no wonder that damn bastard told him to talk quietly! Another fucking time when he should’ve warned Cor! 

He’d been fucking caught!  _ Shit!  _

Cor whirled around and to his horror, she was standing right behind him. 

“Marshal, are you quite alright?” 

“Y-your hi-highness,” He stammered out with a gulp. “It’s not what it looks like! I can explain!” 

“Well, I’m glad that you’re not just wandering off into the darkness.” Luna said, watching him closely, concern flitting over her face before she schooled her expression. She shifted slightly, peering over his shoulder. “Are you alright? Was there a daemon?” 

“What do you..?” Cor trailed off, and turned back around, but there was nothing and no one behind him. He couldn’t even see a hastily retreating figure.  _ What the hell?! _

Where the fuck had Ardyn gone?! Or… was he even there to begin with..?


End file.
